June 1999

How to Avoid Having a Stroke

For many women, having a stroke is one of the last diseases to think you'll have to face. But the chance of stroke is more likely this year for women than breast cancer, osteoporosis, or heart disease. We help people daily modify their homes for life after a stroke. Many times people have no idea that it is happening. When a stroke occurs, blood and oxygen are cut off from the brain. What results is damage to the brain. People know a lot about other diseases and how to safeguard against them, but few people take the time to learn about how to guard about this life-altering event. Below are a few steps that you can take to greatly reduce your risk of having a stroke.

Reduce Stress
Reducing stress is a great way to ward off various health problems by raising blood pressure. Relax by reading, gardening or just spending time with those who mean the most to you.

Drink Plenty of Water
Water is the key to a healthy life. Experts say to drink eight 8-ounce glasses a day. Staying well watered makes your blood less likely to clot. And since most strokes occur when a blood clot lodges in a small blood vessel, drinking water can reduce your chance of this occurring. But it must be at least 5 glasses; 2 glasses won't get it done. Those who drink 5 glasses cut their risk 50% over those who only drink 2 glasses of water daily.

Exercise
Walk the dog, take the steps, and weed the garden…All of these can help you cut your risk of stroke by over 25% according to a recent study. The only catch is that you have to stick to it, so get started today.

Eat a Banana and Drink Your Milk
You can reduce your blood pressure and reduce your risk of stroke as much as 40% by getting an extra dose of potassium daily (400 mg.).

High blood pressure increases your risk of stroke; so do all you can to lower it and you'll be less likely to have a stroke. Learn the symptoms so that if you do have a stroke, you'll be aware of what is happening so that you can seek immediate medical attention.

For more information, go to your local Blockbuster Video Store and rent the video Brain Attack: A New Way of Looking at Stroke. It's free to rent this video.