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OTHER PREVENTIVE MEASURES FOR STROKE RISK
REDUCTION
There is no one cure all for stroke prevention.
As we have already discussed, the re are multiple processes
that occur in the body that precipitate a TIA or stroke. If
you think of the human body in terms of an automobile, there
are many parts and processes that must work properly for the
automobile to get from one place to the other. A car has numerous
tubes and hoses, like the vessels of the body. These hoses
and tubes transport all the necessary fluids throughout the
car to supply parts with gas, oil, brake fluid, antifreeze,
even windshield washer fluid. If a car’s tubing supplying
the brake fluid to the brakes gets crimped or leaks fluid,
the brakes might not work at all or be impaired, and it has
a piece of rust clogging the fuel line to the carburetor or
a tiny fuel jet in the carburetor, The engine will spit and
sputter or quit all together just like the area of the brain
where the stroke or TIA occurs. Such is the case with a collapsed
or burst blood vessel in the body, and on the other hand,
the rust clogging the line is like a clot that interrupts
the blood flow to the brain. Similar to the gas treatment
you might put in you car to help clear up the clogged tube,
the antiplatelet medicines used help keep the blood in the
vessels from clogging up. Just as it is with the gas treatment,
it might take a little low strength blood thinner (antiplatelet
medicine to resolve and prevent another clogged vessel.
However, this is only preventing one of many
factors that precipitate a stroke. Again, as with a car, if
the car has 4 tires that are going flat and you only patch
or prevent one from deflating, the other three, if left unattended,
can eventually go flat and leave the car stranded. With stroke
patients, there are more than three other “tires” to patch
or maintain so they will not leave you stranded. The one that
is leaking the fastest and easiest to control is high blood
pressure. By checking your blood pressure often, taking your
blood pressure medicine properly, and working with your doctor
to lower your high blood pressure, you can significantly reduce
the risk of stroke. If you have already had a TIA, which are
often warning signs that a stroke might occur, the best approach
to preventing a future stroke is to follow all of the recommendations
of your doctor to reduce or treat the other risk factors you
have. Another “leaking tire” to treat is high cholesterol.
Reduction in high levels of cholesterol, through lifestyle
modifications, medicine, and other recommendations by your
doctor or pharmacist, can also significantly decrease the
risk of stroke and death from stroke. Lastly, but certainly
not least, if you stop smoking, you can significantly reduce
your risk for stroke.
In summary, be informed of the risk factors,
the ways to reduce your risk factors, and the warning signs.
Act on the information you know, and reduce your risk of stroke.
Start today to help stroke stay away.
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Stroke Education
