7 Ways to prevent stroke

Stroke is a disease that occurs due to blockage of blood vessels to the brain or bleeding that occurs in the brain. This disease is quite serious because it can endanger lives, especially if not treated immediately. Therefore, try to prevent this one disease as much as possible. Then, what can you do to prevent stroke?

Lifestyle is an important factor as a determinant of your overall health condition. People who have a habit of adopting an unhealthy lifestyle are more likely to get various diseases when compared to people who lead a healthy lifestyle. Then, what kind of lifestyle can help you prevent stroke?

1. Healthy diet

One of the prevention you can do against stroke is to change your diet. Yes, accustomed to adopting an unhealthy diet can increase your risk of having a stroke. The reason is, this habit can increase blood pressure and cholesterol levels in the body which are closely related to stroke.

A healthy diet that can help you prevent stroke is to get in the habit of eating low-fat and fiber-rich foods, such as vegetables and fruits. You can also increase your intake of fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are thought to reduce the risk of having a stroke.

Not only that, you also need to balance your food menu every day. You are advised to eat a variety of vegetables or fruit in one meal rather than eating just one type of food. Moreover, if the food consumed contains too much salt.

In addition, when cooking a food menu, you are advised to limit the amount of salt content in the food you want to consume, which is six grams per day. Salt content that is too high has the potential to increase blood pressure which can lead to stroke.

2. Exercise regularly

Prevention of stroke, both ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke, can be done by balancing a healthy diet with exercise. Routine exercise can indeed lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

In addition, familiarizing yourself with a healthy diet and exercising regularly will help you maintain an ideal weight. The exercise you do doesn't need to be heavy, because the most important thing is consistency in doing it.

You can start exercising regularly by walking around the house every morning after breakfast. In addition, try to avoid elevator when traveling to a public place, so you can use ordinary stairs.

Try, when exercising every day, your breath has started to feel heavy, but you can still talk. This means that you are not out of breath. At least, do exercise for 30 minutes five times a week.

3. Stop smoking

Smoking is an unhealthy habit or lifestyle that can cause serious illnesses. But unfortunately, there are still many who underestimate this fact. If you are one of them, try to start thinking about long-term health, and stop smoking.

This habit can also be a cause of stroke. The reason is, smoking can cause blood to clot more easily, thus potentially causing blockages in blood vessels. Therefore, one of the prevention against stroke is to stop smoking.

Don't worry if you want to quit smoking even though you've been in this habit for a long time. The reason is, quitting smoking can reduce the risk of having a stroke and various other diseases. In fact, even if you are considered old enough to quit, or have been smoking for too long before.

4. Lowering blood pressure

Blood pressure that is too high has the potential to increase your risk of having a stroke. This is because high blood pressure can damage the arteries in the body.

The problem is, this condition often doesn't show any symptoms. So, to find out your blood pressure, try to check your blood pressure regularly. Normally, blood pressure is 120/80 mmHg.

5. Lowering cholesterol levels

You need to be careful if the cholesterol level in the body is high, because this can also trigger a stroke. Stroke prevention can be done by lowering cholesterol levels in the blood.

Cholesterol itself is a type of fat that is produced naturally by an organ called the liver. However, cholesterol can also be found in foods, including meat and dairy products.

The body does need cholesterol, but high cholesterol levels are not good for the health of the body. Excess amount of cholesterol can move inside the arteries, making them narrow. If so, the risk of stroke will increase.

To lower cholesterol levels, try to adjust your diet to make it healthier. Avoid various foods that have high cholesterol content. The doctor also may give cholesterol-lowering drugs.

If you have entered the age of 40 years and over, it is better to have your blood cholesterol levels checked regularly to avoid unwanted things.

6. Lowering blood sugar levels

Apart from cholesterol levels and high blood pressure, diabetes is also a condition that needs to be your concern if you want to prevent stroke. The reason is, diabetics have high enough blood sugar levels in the body.

According to the Stroke Association, blood sugar that is too high can cause fat buildup to build up in the arteries. If left untreated, over time these blood vessels will become blocked and cause a stroke.

Therefore, not a few diabetic patients end up experiencing this condition, especially if they do not regulate blood sugar levels in the body properly.

7. Manage stress well

It seems that it is not only the physical condition that must be considered, but also the mental condition if you want to prevent stroke. Various problems that burden your mind have the potential to cause you to experience various diseases, including strokes.

For example, work problems, family problems, or problems with your partner can trigger stress and depression. If this condition is ignored and not treated promptly, stress and depression will not only affect the health condition of your body, but also have the potential to cause you to suffer from long-term illness.

Therefore, do not underestimate this condition, and immediately get your condition checked by a psychologist or psychiatrist who can help you deal with stress and depression that hit. That way, you can focus more on maintaining your health condition and avoid strokes and various other serious diseases.