Important ways to prevent stroke

#### ✅How to prevent stroke by eating healthy? One of the most effective ways to prevent stroke is to eat healthy. Fat deposition in the arteries is a major cause of stroke. Therefore, the healthier and fat-free your diet is, the less likely you are to have a stroke. Include fruits, fresh vegetables, whole grains, fatty fish (such as salmon), legumes, and nuts in your diet. Consuming salt, saturated fat, fast foods, processed foods, and added sugars dramatically increases the risk of stroke. Mediterranean diet is the best type of diet to prevent stroke. At the end of this article, I will tell you about the Mediterranean diet. In addition, obesity is an increasing factor in the deposition of blood fat, with a balanced diet you can stay away from obesity and avoid accumulating harmful fats in your veins. #### ✅a diet rich in fruits and vegetables A diet containing five fruits or vegetables per day may reduce the risk of stroke. Olive oil, nuts and whole grains can also be useful. #### ✅The effect of exercise in preventing the risk of stroke Regular exercise and not exercise that puts pressure on you and your heart, prevents the risk of stroke. Exercise improves your blood circulation, lowers your blood pressure. It reduces blood fat, sugar and weight. Thirty minutes of walking, cycling or swimming will improve your brain's vascular function and prevent blood clots from forming. It also reduces your stress. Your body's hormones are balanced and it makes your blood flow better and more. All these lead to stroke prevention. Aerobic exercises reduce the risk of stroke and can also lower blood pressure. Exercise increases the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and improves the overall health of the blood vessels and heart. It also helps you lose weight, control diabetes and reduce stress. #### ✅The role of blood pressure in causing stroke and ways to control it Blood pressure thins the walls of your blood vessels and there is a possibility of a blood vessel rupture, and it can remove blood clots from other parts of the body and bring them to the brain, which causes a stroke. So check your blood pressure regularly, if your blood pressure number is not normal and your blood pressure is higher than normal, control it. The way to control blood pressure, exercising, controlling stress, maintaining a healthy weight and limiting the amount of sodium and alcohol consumption are all ways to control high blood pressure. Reducing the amount of cholesterol and saturated fat in your diet, which can reduce the plaque in the arteries. Eliminate or reduce salt from your diet, as well as unhealthy fats. The health of your heart and brain depends a lot on this. Refer to the article number of solutions to reduce blood pressure. #### ✅Why is controlling diabetes important to prevent stroke? Diabetic people are up to 4 times more prone to stroke. Diabetes can damage the walls of blood vessels, reduce the flexibility of the vessels and increase the risk of vessel rupture. In addition, diabetes is the cause of high blood pressure, high fat and obesity, which themselves are the cause of stroke. In order to control diabetes, control stress, stop smoking and alcohol, check blood sugar and take the medicine prescribed by your doctor. Diabetes is an extremely dangerous disease, so take it seriously. The more your blood sugar is in the normal range, the lower your risk of stroke will be #### ✅ cigarettes and alcohol; Two important factors in increasing the risk of stroke Both smoking and alcohol cause high blood pressure and heart rate. Nicotine in cigarettes damages the blood vessels and as a result the walls of the vessels become narrow. On the other hand, high consumption of alcohol increases the possibility of cerebral hemorrhage by increasing the heart rate. So, if you want to avoid having a stroke, stop smoking and alcohol and do one of the most important steps to prevent stroke. #### ✅ Avoiding the use of illegal drugs Some street drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine are risk factors for stroke. Cocaine reduces blood flow and narrows the arteries. #### ✅Stress is one of the main causes of stroke Stress is one of the most important causes of stroke. Although stress does not directly cause a stroke, the increase in cortisol and adrenaline during stress causes blood pressure and heart rate to rise. As a result of this increase in blood pressure, heart palpitations and vascular inflammation, the risk of stroke increases. Regular and aerobic sports, walking and cycling and sports that are uplifting will help you reduce anxiety. In addition to this, yoga and mind control exercises, deep breathing, nature walks and staying away from factors such as social networks are also helpful. Adequate sleep and new treatment methods such as RTMS are very effective for reducing stress and anxiety. Therefore, one of the most important things that we must observe to prevent stroke is the control of stress and anxiety. #### ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ All of the above are risk factors for stroke. If your lifestyle has been wrong so far, you have been under chronic stress, you have had a history of stroke before, you have diabetes or other cases, pick up your phone right now and call a neurologist. ### Checklist of stroke risk factors - high blood pressure (140/90 or more) - Heart disease - Diabetes - Smoking - Use of oral contraceptive pills - History of transient ischemic attacks (TIA) - Increase in the number of red blood cells - High blood cholesterol and fat - Lack of physical activity - obesity - Excessive consumption of alcohol - Drug abuse (cocaine and intravenous drugs) - Abnormal heart rhythm - structural abnormalities of the heart (valvular heart disease) - Increasing age (over 55 years) - Gender (men have more strokes; women die more) - History of previous stroke - Heredity or genetics ### symptoms before stroke Some of the warning signs before a stroke are: difficulty speaking and understanding, paralysis or numbness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body, difficulty seeing in one or both eyes, blurriness or diplopia, sudden and severe headache with vomiting, dizziness or loss of consciousness, difficulty walking and imbalance Symptoms of stroke in women The symptoms of stroke in women may not be the same as the symptoms of stroke in men. These symptoms may include: - Nausea or vomiting - Convulsions - hiccups - Difficulty in breathing - pain - Fainting or loss of consciousness - General weakness Since these symptoms are unique to women, they may not be diagnosed quickly and treatment may be delayed. Strange behaviors, such as sudden sleepiness, can also indicate a stroke. Doctors call these symptoms altered mental status. These symptoms are: - Lack of response - Unconsciousness - Confusion - Sudden behavior change - Illusion Stroke risk factors A stroke can be caused by blockage or rupture of blood vessels, and according to the cause, it is divided into two main types, ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. In the following, the reasons for both types are examined: ### Ischemic stroke About 85% of strokes are ischemic strokes. Ischemic stroke occurs when the arteries in your brain are narrowed or blocked and cause a severe decrease in blood flow (ischemia). You should pay attention to the fact that if the patient is diagnosed before reaching the stage of blockage of the arteries and the artery is opened with the help of current methods such as stenting in the brain, this patient will not experience a stroke. Now, with the help of devices such as brain doppler ultrasound, a doctor can easily check the condition of the arteries in the brain and if there is a blockage, using methods such as medicine. Treatment, brain stent, guided by the brain angiography device or other methods to treat it. Ischemic stroke occurs due to the blockage of blood flow and narrowing of the cerebral artery, and is usually caused by the deposition of blood fat and the formation of blood clots. These clots may form for the following reasons: - - - Atherosclerosis (accumulation of fat and plaque in the walls of arteries) - Blood clotting disorders - Cerebral embolism - Atrial fibrillation - Heart defects - Microvascular ischemic disease - Parkinson's disease - Neurological diseases and brain injuries ### Hemorrhagic stroke This type of stroke occurs due to rupture of blood vessels in the brain and leakage of blood to the surrounding tissues. Its main causes are: - - - **blood pressure** high - Rupture of brain aneurysm - Brain tumors - Vascular diseases This paragraph is very important If you have a history of stroke, be sure to see a neurologist, he can check to what extent you are prone to subsequent strokes. Preventing future strokes is very important. Early diagnosis of stroke is of particular importance; This can have a significant impact on the healing process and reduce the complications caused by it. When a stroke occurs, every minute that passes can lead to more brain damage. Fast and timely treatment can prevent the spread of damage and increase the patient's chances of recovery. In addition, early detection helps prevent stroke and its long-term complications. Many people who experience a stroke may experience physical or cognitive disabilities. But with quick intervention, these complications can be prevented or their severity can be reduced. In ischemic stroke, timely administration of drugs such as TPA (thrombolytic) can open blocked vessels and restore blood flow to the damaged area. Therefore, knowing the symptoms of a stroke and taking immediate action if you see them can save a person's life and improve his quality of life. **brain tape (EEG)** and brain ultrasound **TCCD** also play a role in this field. By identifying the patterns of brain wave activity, the brain tape detects the changes caused by stroke and can help in early diagnosis. TCD ultrasound is also used to evaluate blood flow in cerebral vessels and identify blockages, which can be effective in diagnosing possible strokes. How is a stroke diagnosed? Diagnosing a stroke involves a medical history, physical examination, and specialized tests to image the brain and check blood flow. In the following, the most important diagnostic methods are briefly explained: - CT scan of the brain: Using X-rays, detailed images of the brain are prepared to detect bleeding or damage caused by a stroke. - **MRI:** Magnetic fields and radio frequencies are used to examine small changes in brain tissue. - CT angiography (CTA): images of blood vessels are taken to determine their blockage or narrowing. - **Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA):** Blood flow in the arteries is checked with MRI technology. - **Doppler ultrasound (carotid):** With sound waves, the inside of the carotid arteries is examined to detect blockage or narrowing caused by plaques. Available treatments and post-stroke care In **stroke treatment**, it depends on its type and severity and is generally divided into two main categories: ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. ### Ischemic stroke treatment 1. **Thrombolytic drugs:** Drugs such as TPA, administered within 3 to 5 hours after initiation, can dissolve blood clots and restore blood flow to the affected area. 2. **Thrombectomy:** In more severe cases, doctors may perform a thrombectomy, a surgical procedure in which a blood clot is removed from a blood vessel. This method is usually performed for patients who have severe blockage of arteries and the treatment with drugs has not been effective. 3. **Anticoagulants:** After initial treatment, anticoagulants such as aspirin or newer drugs may be prescribed to prevent new clots from forming. See the article on stroke treatment. ### Treatment of hemorrhagic stroke 1. **Bleeding control:** Primary treatment includes bleeding control and reducing intracranial pressure. This may include the use of medications to reduce pressure and swelling. 2. **Surgery:** In some cases, surgery may be needed to control bleeding or to repair damaged blood vessels. This procedure can involve draining accumulated blood or repairing an aneurysm (weakened blood vessel). ### Rehabilitation After initial treatment, rehabilitation plays an important role in returning the patient to daily life. This process includes: - **Physiotherapy:** to restore movement and muscle strength. - **Speech therapy:** To help patients return to speech and communication abilities. - **Occupational therapy:** To help patients perform daily activities and become independent. ### New methods New methods such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (RTMS) are also being developed. These methods can help stimulate specific areas of the brain and be effective in the rehabilitation process.