The National Stroke Association defines a stroke as a “brain attack” that can happen at any time when blood flow is cut off to an area of the brain, thus brain cells are deprived of oxygen and begin to die. The Mayo Clinic lists some of the symptoms of a stroke as:
- Trouble with speaking and understanding.
- Paralysis or numbness of the face, arm or leg.
- Trouble with seeing in one or both eyes.
- Headache
- Trouble with walking.
Some risk factors for stroke are uncontrollable, such as, age, gender, race, family history, and a history of prior stroke or heart attack. According to The Cleveland Clinic, “More than 795,000 people suffer from stroke in the U.S. each year, but up to 50% of all strokes are preventable. Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the United States. Many of the risk factors can be treated, modified, or controlled.”
The Cleveland Clinic lists the following among the controllable risk factors for strokes:
- Hypertension
- Smoking
- Heart Disease
- Diabetes Mellitus
- High Cholesterol (also called hyperlipidemia)
- Alcohol (more than one drink per day)
- Being Overweight or Obese
- Existing Carotid and/or Coronary Artery Disease
- Illegal Drug Use
Take control of your health before it is too late. Assess your stroke risk, modify and treat those risk factors that are within your control. To schedule an appointment with a healthcare professional at any of our convenient Primary Medical Care Center community clinics, you may visit our website at www.primarymed.com, or call (305)751-1500 for our Miami-Dade clinic, or (954)289-0000 for our Broward clinic.
Source: https://www.stroke.org/understand-stroke/what-is-stroke/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/stroke/symptoms-causes/syc-203501113
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/13398-know-your-risk-factors-for-stroke