8 things to help you prevent a ‘attack’ stroke, apply early to reduce the risk of death

Recently, the high temperature difference can be one of the causes of health effects. So what lifestyle habits should we adopt early to avoid having a stroke?

From today, let your lifestyle become healthy, only then can we help prevent the risk of stroke that can happen to anyone.

1. Don’t be in a hurry to get up quickly in the morning, remember to keep your body warm

Cerebrovascular accident or stroke most often occurs when the season changes and the temperature difference is large between morning and evening.

When you wake up in the morning, don’t rush to get out of your warm bed, instead you can sit for a while, or lie down in bed, let your body adapt to the outside temperature and then get up. and get out of bed.

Also, remember to bring a light jacket or hat, scarf and stay warm when going out in case the outdoor temperature is low.

2. Drink a glass of warm water after breakfast

You may not know, there are many people who have a sudden stroke in the toilet while defecating, this needs to be emphasized to make people pay more attention.

Drinking water in the morning is mainly to help gastrointestinal motility effectively and smooth bowel movements after breakfast, otherwise, not drinking enough water or pushing hard when defecating will easily cause a stroke risk.

3. Measure your blood pressure regularly

Measuring blood pressure is the most basic principle of stroke prevention. Research shows that for every 10 mm of mercury (mmHg) drop in blood pressure, the risk of stroke is halved.

The latest guidelines published in the Journal of Stroke in 2014 emphasize that it’s not just older adults who need to pay attention to their blood pressure, but that young women taking birth control pills should also have their blood pressure measured before taking the pill. .

4. Regular moderate exercise

Just 15 minutes of exercise a day, 90 minutes a week, can reduce the risk of stroke by 24%. People with high blood pressure who continued to exercise were even 34% less likely to have a stroke.

Exercise can also prevent secondary strokes for people who have had a stroke. Lin Zigan, chief physician of the neurosurgery department at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan, reminds us that people who don’t exercise are more prone to congested blood vessels. Once the blood circulation is poor, small movements can also lead to big problems.

5. Maintain a light, low oil and low salt diet

A low-fat, low-fat diet can lower cholesterol and prevent ischemic stroke.

The American Heart Association recommends that calories from fatty foods should not exceed 30% of total daily calories and that daily cholesterol intake should preferably be less than 300 mg.

One egg contains about 260 mg of cholesterol, so eating one egg a day shouldn’t be a problem.

Omega-3 fatty acids from fatty fish may help control blood pressure and prevent blood vessel inflammation. Or you can also eat oats and some nuts for breakfast. The water-soluble fiber of oats can reduce the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine, change the concentration of fatty acids in the blood, and reduce bad cholesterol and triglycerides. Nuts contain polyunsaturated fatty acids, which can maintain the health of arteries and blood vessels.

Eating less pork belly, bacon, less seasoning and less use of ready-to-eat foods, can reduce excessive sodium absorption, avoid water retention in the body and imbalance, increase blood pressure and burden on the heart.

6. Measure pulse at normal times, do electrocardiogram and carotid ultrasound periodically when over 40 years old

Research shows that after age 40, there is a one in four chance of developing atrial fibrillation, and the older you are, the higher the risk.

Atrial fibrillation (atrial fibrillation or arrhythmia) is a “potential killer” of stroke. People with atrial fibrillation are five times more likely to have a stroke and two times more likely to die than the general population.

Therefore, it is recommended to measure the pulse every day, the average heart rate of a normal person beats from 60 to 100 times / minute, the pulse beat is the same as the heart rate, if the pulse is too low or irregular, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. the sooner the better.

In addition, for those over 40 years of age, an electrocardiogram and carotid ultrasound should be done to check for atrial fibrillation, and measure carotid inner layer thickness and stiffness. of the arteries to determine if there is a risk of stroke.

If you are over 45 years old and have a family history of stroke, metabolic syndrome, smoking, migraine and other risk factors, Dr. health care at the Department of Neurology at Shuanghe Hospital, Taiwan, suggests that you get a brain MRI from time to time or a full complement of brain tests as directed by your doctor.

7. Pregnant women with pre-eclampsia should take low-dose aspirin to prevent stroke.

We used to think of aspirin as a second-degree stroke prevention drug. However, the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association recently recommended in their “Women’s Stroke Prevention Guidelines” that women who have ever had preeclampsia or are in a high-risk group Pregnant women can take low-dose aspirin from the 12th week of pregnancy.

Although preeclampsia goes away after delivery, women who develop gestational hypertension or preeclampsia during pregnancy are at increased risk of developing high blood pressure and stroke in the future.

For patients with cardiovascular disease or stroke, the recommended dose of aspirin is 50-100mg; one aspirin in Taiwan is about 100mg and you can take one for two days. If you buy in the US, one tablet is about 81mg. Pay attention to the dosage of the drug and consult your doctor before use. Attention should be paid to the side effects of the drug that can cause ulceration, bleeding or perforation of the gastrointestinal tract, if it occurs, the drug should be discontinued.

Additionally, for women aged 65 to 79, the new guidelines also recommend that they take 81mg of aspirin a day to prevent blood clots.

All recommendations for the use of this drug must be based on the actual health of each individual with the permission of the doctor.

8. Medications + lifestyle changes can effectively prevent secondary strokes

Studies have shown that, rather than implanting stents to widen arteries in the brain to improve blood flow, it is better to take medication and change lifestyle habits (such as exercise, avoiding obesity. and quit smoking) to prevent secondary stroke.

People with high blood pressure and high cholesterol must regularly take blood pressure-lowering and lipid-lowering drugs to prevent another possible stroke.

Dr. Lian Liming, Director of the Neurological Intensive Care Unit of Xinguang Hospital, Taiwan, pointed out that the use of antithrombotic drugs after a stroke patient is discharged from the hospital will reduce the rate of stroke recurrence by 67%. for the next three months.

People with atrial fibrillation who take anticoagulants after a stroke can also halve their risk of dying from another stroke within 3 months.