Below are some helpful tips that you should follow to reduce your chance of a stroke, especially if you have a history of strokes in your family.
- Lose Weight
Obesity and all of the complications associated with it increase your chances of having a stroke. Even if you are overweight and not classified as obese, losing just ten pounds can significantly reduce your chances.
- Quit Smoking
There’s no way around it; smoking is bad for your health. In fact, if you’re a smoker, quitting smoking is one of the biggest things you can do to reduce your chances of a stroke. Inhaling nicotine thickens your blood, increases your blood pressure, and lowers the amount of oxygen that makes it to your brain. Smoking has also been linked to heart disease, lung disease, and cancer.
If you’re a smoker who is looking to quit, your doctor can recommend different treatment options and medications to help you through the withdrawal process. If you stay smoke-free for fifteen years, your heart will even heal to the point of looking the same as someone who hasn’t smoked a day in their life.
- Limit Alcohol Intake
Alcohol consumption can either increase or decrease your chances of a stroke, depending on how often you drink. Drinking heavily will increase your chances of stroke since it significantly increases your blood pressure. However, having one drink a day can actually prevent strokes and blood clots.
- Get Enough Sleep
One of the easiest ways, in theory, to reduce your chance of a stroke is simply by getting enough sleep every night. In fact, there is a strong link between getting less than 6 hours of sleep and the risk of having a stroke increases, especially if you’re over the age of 45. While getting eight hours of sleep every single night isn’t doable for everyone, try to get as much sleep as you can.
- Be Positive!
According to scientists at Harvard, people with a typically happy disposition are far less likely to have a stroke or a heart attack. While being a positive and happy person can be easy for some and hard for others, doing things that you enjoy, spending quality time with people you love, and possibly seeing a licensed therapist should increase your overall happiness and outlook on life.
- Embrace Vitamin D
Having low levels of vitamin D increases your chances of having a stroke. In fact, this risk actually doubles if you’re caucasian. You can increase your vitamin D intake by going outside when it’s sunny, taking vitamin D supplements, and eating vitamin D-rich foods.
- Eat Some Walnuts
Eating a 1-ounce serving of walnuts at least once a week has been associated with a 17% lower risk of having a stroke. Walnuts are a top source of heart-healthy alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is a plant-based type of omega-3. ALA has been linked to healthy cholesterol and triglycerides, improved blood vessel function, and reduced inflammation.
- Maintain A Healthy Work-Life Balance
Working more than 10 hours a day for 50 days out the year was associated with a 29% greater risk of having a stroke. Constant job demands and chronic stress have a negative impact on vascular function. This can possibly increase inflammation in the body. Try doing yoga; it may help lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
- Get a Move On
Studies suggest those who moved at a faster rate (3.5mph) had a 44% reduced likelihood of a stroke. Walking speed is an indicator of your overall aerobic fitness and blood vessel function.
- Go Bananas!
Sodium makes your body hold on to water. This, in return, raises your blood pressure. Potassium helps to regulate this fluid retention. Getting nearly twice as much sodium as potassium has been associated with a 22% greater stroke risk. Aim to get 4,700mg of potassium. This is an achievable target if your diet is rich in fruits and vegetables.