Stroke 101: How To Prevent It From Happening To You

Let’s take a proactive stance by choosing preventive measures to avoid having a stroke. First of all, let me define what a stroke is. The most common form of a stroke is the result of a sudden disruption of the flow of blood to parts of the brain. When blood cannot reach parts of the brain, the oxygen supply to those areas is cut off and the brain cells die. Functions normally controlled by these damaged brain areas are affected. In many cases, unconsciousness and/or partial paralysis, or death may occur. This is often the immediate outward sign that a Stroke has occurred.

The Stroke Recovery Association NSW reports the following two types of strokes:
Ischaemic Stroke
In the case of Stroke, however, clots are dangerous because they can block arteries and cut off blood flow. Ischaemic Stroke is the most common type of Stroke (80% - 85% of Strokes are ischaemic). An Ischaemic Stroke is caused when a clot blocks or ‘plugs’ a blood vessel in the brain. There are two ways that a clot Stroke can occur.
• An embolic Stroke occurs when a blood clot forms somewhere in the body and travels through the blood stream to the brain.
• A thrombotic Stroke occurs when blood vessels narrow as a result of blood fat, cholesterol or calcium which grow to completely block the blood vessel.

Haemorrhagic Stroke
A haemorrhagic Stroke is caused when a blood vessel in the brain breaks or ‘erupts’. There are two types of haemorrhagic Stroke. A subarachnoid haemorrhage and an intracerebral haemorrhage.
• An intracerebral haemorrhage, which is the more common form, involves bleeding within the brain tissue itself.
• With a subarachnoid haemorrhage the bleeding occurs in the space around the brain. This is often due to an aneurysm - a thin or weak spot on a blood vessel wall.

Now that we have defined what a stroke is, let’s focus on how to prevent it. Stroke is the third-leading cause of death among African Americans, and more than 100,000 will suffer one this year. This is Black History Month, a time to recognize the greatness of our past, but it is imperative that we focus on the greatest threat to African Americans: stroke.

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s message of freedom was reiterated through the words of his daughter, the late Yolanda King: “We will only be truly free when we reach down to the inner depths of our own being and sign with the pen and ink of assertive selfhood, our own emancipation proclamation. No civil rights, no voting rights, no equal rights, no immigration rights are worth fighting for if we are dying from heart disease and stroke,” she said shortly after her mother, the late Coretta Scott King, suffered a stroke. Ironically, it appears that Yolanda also suffered from heart disease like her mother.

We can heed Yolanda’s words by taking the following steps to prevent the occurrence of a stroke for ourselves or loved ones and become Winners at life:

1) Adopting a healthy lifestyle can help you reduce your risk for a stroke or heart disease.
2) Choose healthy foods. You are what you eat.
3) Make Exercise & Fitness a daily part of your routine: Swimming, cycling, jogging, skiing, dancing, walking and dozens of other activities can help your heart. Whether it is included in a structured exercise program or just part of your daily routine, all physical activity adds up to a healthier heart
4) Manage Your Weight: Taking control of your lifestyle will help you to better manage your weight and reduce your risk for heart attack.

Stay Blessed!
Joyce