Stroke Awareness

Enjoying Life after a Stroke: How to Reduce Your Risks

What is a Stroke?

Your physician has told you that you have had a stroke. Most strokes are caused when blood stops flowing to a part in the brain. The brain needs a constant flow of oxygen rich blood. When a blood vessel (an artery) in the brain becomes blocked, the part of the brain served by that blood vessel is starved for oxygen and it dies. The death of that part of the brain is then known as a stroke. Another type of stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain bursts causing the brain to be damaged by blood.

Although there is no medicine or operation to undo the damage a stroke causes to your brain, there is a lot that you can do to live with a stroke. While you are in the hospital, your physician will try to find the cause of your stroke and then start treatment to decrease the chance of another stroke. If there are complications, specific therapy will be started to help you.

Your symptoms may change during the first few days after your stroke. This is because the living brain immediately surrounding the damaged part of the brain will suffer from swelling, which is usually most severe about 3 days after a stroke. As the swelling subsides your symptoms may improve. Patients who have had larger strokes will have more changes from swelling. Patients with smaller strokes may not notice any changes.

Stroke Symptoms

These are some common symptoms of stroke:

• Severe headache
• Dizziness
• Loss of speech, hearing, or vision
• Difficulty walking
• Difficulty swallowing
• Weakness of the face, arms, or legs

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation teaches you how to take care of yourself after your stroke. This may involve physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. We will start the rehabilitation process while you are at home or at a skilled nursing facility, depending on your needs. It is strongly recommended that your loved one or a family member take part in your rehabilitation so that they can learn how to help you.

Home Safety

Most of the time, you will be able to go home after a stroke. Although leaving the hospital may seem scary at first, you will recover faster at home.

• Remove anything in your home that may cause you to fall, such as throw rugs
• Wear rubber-soled shoes so that you do not slip when walking
• Put handrails in your shower or near your tub
• Rearrange your home furniture to allow you to move freely

Protecting Your Health

Quit Smoking

Smokers have a higher risk of stroke regardless of age, high blood pressure, or heart disease. This risk is eliminated within a few years of stopping smoking.

Control Your Blood Pressure

Keep your blood pressure below 139/89. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes or coronary artery disease, keep your blood pressure below 129/79. Blood pressure usually goes up when you have had a stroke. Your physician may not treat your high blood pressure for the first 2 to 3 weeks after the stroke because this helps the brain to heal. Blood pressure can be lowered reducing your weight, exercising, and taking medications. Keep track of your blood pressure. You may purchase a home blood pressure cuff at our pharmacy. Remember to bring your readings to your appointments.

Manage Your Heart Disease

If you have heart disease, a variety of heart conditions, including an irregular heartbeat (atrial fibrillation) and heart valve conditions can cause a stroke. Talk with your physician about what choices you have to treat these conditions.

Manage Your Diabetes

Diabetes causes your blood vessels to narrow. The best way to control the narrowing is to keep good control of your blood sugars. Try to keep your fasting blood sugar below 100 mg/dl. Work with your physician and/or diabetes care team to manage your diabetes.

The Use of Blood Thinners

A number of blood thinners can help prevent strokes. The type of blood thinner your physician prescribes for you depends on the type of stroke you have had. Remember that all blood thinners have a risk of causing you to bleed. So, in some people, the risk may be greater than the benefit of the medicine. Your physician will discuss the best treatment for you.

Improve Your Diet

Limit fat in your diet. Diets high in saturated fat and cholesterol may cause hardening of arteries, which is linked to strokes.

• Eat less dietary fat or limit fat or oil when you are cooking. Trim the extra fat and skin from meat and poultry.
• Use low-fat or non-fat dairy products.
• Broil or bake foods rather than frying.
• Limit eggs to no more than 4 per week.

Avoid excess salt in your diet. A high sodium diet is linked to high blood pressure which may cause a stroke.

• Do not add extra salt to your food.
• Remember that there is hidden salt in most processed and canned foods so read the labels carefully.
• Eat fresh foods whenever possible.

Limit your alcohol intake.

Lower Your Cholesterol

Cholesterol buildup in your blood vessels causes the vessels to become narrow. This then causes less blood flow to the brain. Cholesterol can be lowered by losing weight, exercise, diet, and medications. Your physician may put you on medications to lower your cholesterol when you leave to hospital.

Keep a Healthy Weight

Try to keep a healthy weight that fits your height and body build. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate exercise on most days. This will help keep your weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes under control. Check with your physician before starting any exercise program.