Preventing Stroke
Healthy Living
You can help prevent stroke by making healthy lifestyle choices. A healthy lifestyle includes the following:
Eating a healthy diet.
Maintaining a healthy weight.
Getting enough exercise.
Not smoking.
Limiting alcohol use.
Healthy Diet
Choosing healthy meal and snack options can help you avoid stroke and its complications. Be sure to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Eating foods low in saturated fats, trans fat, and cholesterol and high in fiber can help prevent high cholesterol. Limiting salt (sodium) in your diet also can lower your blood pressure.
Healthy Weight
Being overweight or obese increases your risk for stroke. To determine whether your weight is in a healthy range, doctors often calculate your body mass index (BMI). If you know your weight and height, you can calculate your BMI at CDCs Assessing Your Weight Web site. Doctors sometimes also use waist and hip measurements to measure excess body fat.
Physical Activity
Physical activity can help you maintain a healthy weight and lower your cholesterol and blood pressure levels. For adults, 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, like brisk walking or bicycling, every week is recommended. Children and adolescents should get 1 hour of physical activity every day.
No Smoking
Cigarette smoking greatly increases your risk for stroke. If you dont smoke, dont start. If you do smoke, quitting will lower your risk for stroke. Your doctor can suggest ways to help you quit.
Limited Alcohol
Avoid drinking too much alcohol, which can raise your blood pressure. Men should have no more than 2 drinks per day, and women only 1.
Other Medical Conditions
If you have heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes you can take steps to lower your risk for stroke.
Check Cholesterol
Your health care provider should test your cholesterol levels at least once every 5 years. Talk with your health care team about this simple blood test. If you have high cholesterol, medications and lifestyle changes can help reduce your risk for stroke.
Control Blood Pressure
High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, so be sure to have it checked on a regular basis. Talk to your health care team about how often you should check your levels. You can check your blood pressure at home, at a doctors office, or at a pharmacy.
If you have high blood pressure, your doctor might prescribe medication, recommend some changes in your lifestyle, or advise you to lower the levels of salt in your diet.
Manage Diabetes
If your health care provider thinks you have symptoms of diabetes, he or she may recommend that you get tested. If you have diabetes, monitor your blood sugar levels carefully. Talk with your health care team about treatment options. Your doctor may recommend certain lifestyle changes to help keep your blood sugar under good controlthose actions will help reduce your risk for stroke.
Manage Heart Disease
If you have certain heart conditions, such as atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat), your health care team may recommend medical treatment or surgery. Taking care of heart problems can help prevent stroke.
Take Your Medicine
If you take medication to treat heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes, follow your doctors instructions carefully. Always ask questions if you dont understand something. Never stop taking your medication without talking to your doctor.
Talk with Your Health Care Team
You and your health care team can work together to prevent or treat the medical conditions that lead to stroke. Discuss your treatment plan regularly, and bring a list of questions to your appointments.
If youve already had a stroke or TIA, your health care team will work with you to prevent further strokes. Your treatment plan will include medications or surgery and lifestyle changes to reduce your risk for another stroke. Be sure to take your medications as directed and follow your doctors instructions.
Source: CDC
