According to the National Stroke Association, up to 80% of all strokes can be prevented. Strokes can happen to anyone at any time, but certain risk factors can increase the odds. Mom’s Meals provides tips for preventing a stroke:
1. Talk to a healthcare professional about your risks. One of the first steps to reducing risk is knowing exactly what risk factors you should be aware of based on your personal and family history. Consulting a physician is the best way to understand these risks. Be sure your healthcare professional include the following:
Blood pressure: High blood pressure is one of the major risk factors. Know if you have high blood pressure by having it checked yearly. It you are at risk, more frequent checks may be necessary.
Atrial fibrillation: If you have an abnormal heartbeat, or “afib,” it can increase the stroke risk by 500%.
2. Clean up your habits. The habits we have often impact health more than any other genetic disposition, or external factor. If you want to prevent a stroke, two areas that are very important to address are smoking and alcohol consumption.
If you are serious about preventing a stroke, stop smoking immediately, and make sure your alcohol consumption is moderate at most. Having a regular exercise habit, even just walking around your area mall several times each day, can strengthen the heart and help keep blood healthy.
3. Improve your diet. What you eat plays a huge role in stroke prevention. A heart healthy diet can reduce your risk significantly. Opt for low sodium meals, and be sure to get plenty of healthy foods. If you or a loved one has difficulty preparing food for a heart healthy diet, consider home meal delivery service. Mom’s Meals offers an entire menu of items specifically created by chefs and Registered Dietitians to be heart healthy and tasty.
If a loved one does suffer a stroke, recuperation and recovery can be a long, slow journey. The National Stroke Association provides tips for the caregivers and family members, as well as the stroke victims at their web site.
– Courtesy of PRWeb