Early Detective Of Strokes Is Possible

Stroke, also known as “cerebral apoplexy,” mainly occurs due to narrowing of cerebral arteries or conditions such as occlusion and rupture, further leading to disturbances in cerebral blood circulation. If left untreated for a long time, it can cause permanent functional impairments in the brain.

Clinically, stroke can be divided into ischemic stroke (cerebral infarction) and hemorrhagic stroke (cerebral hemorrhage). Approximately one person in China suffers a stroke every 12 seconds, and someone dies of a stroke every 21 seconds, making it the leading cause of death in China! In Singapore, The Ministry of Health stated that stroke in Singapore is the fourth leading cause of death, the leading cause of adult disability, and has a prevalence of 4% among adults aged 50 years and above. There are 26 new stroke cases daily. *

SUnder reasonable guidance, short-term use of over-the-counter or prescription sleep aids can be helpful, and in some cases, prolonged medication use may be necessary.

Most strokes are “dragged” out!

Before experiencing a stroke, many people may have some “mini-strokes,” also known medically as “transient ischemic attacks,” which often occur within a few days before a stroke. Because the symptoms of mini-strokes are mild, short-lived, and common, they are often overlooked. If ignored, the risk of stroke within three months can reach 30% to 50%. Therefore, timely identification of the warning signs of stroke is crucial for stroke prevention.

The body sends signals from four places; seek medical attention early!

What are the causes of stroke?

1. Laziness

Most of us are overwhelmed by our hectic schedules, often neglecting exercise and drinking water, both of which are risk factors for stroke. Long-term lack of exercise not only slows down blood circulation but also increases the risk of cerebral and cardiac blood supply, increases blood viscosity, and leads to thrombosis. Not drinking enough water accelerates blood viscosity and thrombosis formation.

2. Overindulge

With an increasing array of food options, we tend to overindulge. We also tend to prefer heavy-tasting foods such as fried and pickled foods, which can increase blood pressure, accelerate the death rate from hypertension-related heart disease, and increase the risk of stroke-related death.

3. Endurance

Endurance is not just physical but also mental. Mental stress or depression can also lead to stroke, as excessive excitement or suppression of emotions can lead to increased blood pressure, severe vasoconstriction, and accelerated cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

What you can do to prevent strokes?

1. Supplement folic acid

Folic acid promotes the conversion of homocysteine to homocysteine, which is harmless to blood vessels, and reduces the concentration of homocysteine in the blood, thereby reducing the incidence of stroke and coronary heart disease.

Supplementation method: Vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, and lettuce.

2. Diet

Multiple nutrition surveys in China have found that the intake of dietary fiber by Chinese people is generally insufficient, far below half of the recommended intake.

The recommended daily intake of dietary fiber is 25 to 35 grams. For children and adolescents under eighteen, the recommended intake of dietary fiber is age plus five. For example, a twelve-year-old child’s daily dietary fiber intake is seventeen grams, but should not exceed twenty grams, and for teenagers aged seventeen or eighteen, the maximum daily dietary fiber intake is twenty grams.

Excessive salt intake can cause water retention in the body, leading to an increase in blood pressure. In the long run, it will not only increase blood pressure and burden on the kidneys and cardiovascular system but also increase the risk of stroke. Many studies have warned that eating too much salt can also affect the loss of bone density in postmenopausal women, and women with hypertension are more likely to develop dementia.

Usually, high-calorie foods are also high-salt foods. Foods with more than 500 milligrams of sodium per 100 grams are considered high-sodium foods. In view of this, the United States recently revised its new dietary guidelines, especially mentioning reducing salt intake. It is best for those over 50, with hypertension, diabetes, or a history of chronic kidney disease, to reduce their daily sodium intake to 1500 milligrams, about two-thirds of a teaspoon of salt.

4. Drink more water

Blood contains 70% water. When the body is dehydrated, the blood becomes concentrated and viscous. Drinking a glass of warm water after waking up in the morning, a cup of hot tea to warm the stomach in the afternoon, and another glass of water one to two hours before bedtime can prevent vascular blockage. Drinking more water can also help gastrointestinal motility, making bowel movements smoother. Otherwise, excessive force during defecation can increase the risk of stroke when blood vessels are blocked by blood clots. 

In addition, it is best to drink water before exercise or soaking in hot springs, as these activities can also cause a lot of sweating, making blood thicker and increasing cardiovascular pressure. When the blood in the body is adequate, blood flow will be smoother.

5. “Rainbow” diet

From a nutritional point of view, vegetables and fruits of each color have different nutrients, such as anthocyanins, chlorophyll, etc., collectively called phytochemicals, each playing different roles such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immune regulation, etc. Foods composed of colorful vegetables and fruits are called rainbow diets.

Common vegetables and fruits can be divided into five colors: green, yellow, white, red, and purple. As long as we use colors as indicators and eat five vegetables and fruits every day, our bodies will have the opportunity to ingest various phytochemicals.

6. Change bad eating habits

The occurrence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases is closely related to our daily diet. For example, many people like to eat high-calorie and high-fat foods. If this continues for a long time, it will lead to obesity, and the chances of suffering from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases will greatly increase. To prevent a stroke, you must change these bad eating habits and eat more fresh vegetables and fruits in your daily life, with light foods as the mainstay.

7. Quit smoking and limit alcohol

Carbon monoxide in cigarettes can cause myoglobin to contract abnormally, promote platelet aggregation, and nicotine can cause vascular spasm and contraction, increase blood flow resistance, and induce atherosclerosis.

Alcohol has a strong stimulating effect on the nervous system, easily accelerates heart rate and raises blood pressure, and easily triggers stroke. Therefore, it is best to quit the habit of smoking with the left hand and drinking with the right hand, and reduce the stimulation to the blood vessels.

Prevention of Three “Highs”

Hypertension is considered the most dangerous factor for stroke. Hypertension can easily cause atherosclerosis, promote endothelial damage, thrombosis, and easily induce cerebral infarction. Therefore, people with hypertension must control their blood pressure and take medication on time according to their doctor’s advice.

Diabetics have metabolic disorders or abnormal manifestations. In addition, long-term high blood sugar in the body will increase blood viscosity and damage blood vessels. Slow blood flow will promote platelet aggregation, and blood clots passing through the brain will trigger a stroke. Therefore, diabetic patients should learn to control blood sugar, eat less glycemic foods, and have regular checkups to prevent complications.

High blood lipids are also one of the risk factors for stroke, and hypertension patients often have hyperlipidemia. Therefore, while controlling blood pressure, attention should also be paid to controlling blood lipid levels. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is the main factor causing Atherosclerosis.

Photo Credit:

Photo by Ryan ‘O’ Niel on Unsplash

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Photo by Cristiano Pinto on Unsplash

* Data from Singapore Heart Foundation website. https://www.myheart.org.sg/health/heart-disease-statistics/