Can We Prevent A Second Stroke?

To answer the question mentioned above, it is first essential to understand the basics of Stroke.

Keep reading the article to understand and find out if we can prevent second stoke and how we can prevent it?

What is Stroke?

A stroke is a condition that occurs when a blood vessel in the brain bursts and bleeds or when there is a blockage of the blood supply to the brain. Both scenarios (rupture or blockage) prevent blood and oxygen from reaching the brain’s tissues.

Without the supply of oxygen, brain cells and tissues become damaged and begin to die immediately. As the brain cells die, people may experience weakness or paralysis and lose walking or speaking.

There are three main types of strokes they are classified as follows:

• Ischemic Stroke: This is the most common type of stoke, and it results because of a blood clot that prevents blood and oxygen from reaching an area of the brain
• Hemorrhagic stroke: This occurs when a blood vessel ruptures. The rupture is mainly due to aneurysms (formation of a balloon and weakening in a part of the artery)
• Transient ischemic attack: It occurs when blood flow to a part of the part is inadequate for a brief amount of time. Normal blood flow resumes after a short period, and the symptoms during the episode resolve without any treatment. It is known as a ministroke.

Strokes are fatal. The article explains if a person can prevent a second stroke and how it can be prevented.

Can we prevent a second Stroke?

Yes, it is possible to prevent a second stroke. The causes for the second stroke are majorly similar to a primary stroke.

Researchers believe that you are most vulnerable for three months to 1 year after your first stroke. So even after surviving one stroke, you may still need to take a lot of care to prevent the second stroke.

Causes of the second stroke

The causes of one or more strokes mainly remain the as which are as follows:

• Diabetes: High blood sugar levels damage the blood vessels, increasing the possibility of clot formation in the blood vessel.
• High blood pressure: Untreated or uncontrolled blood pressure doubles the risk of stroke.
• High cholesterol: High cholesterol levels in your blood can lead to plaque formation. Thus, it causes a decrease in blood flow to the brain and other parts of the body.
• Smoking: Smoking causes thickening of the blood and increases plaque formation in the arteries, which eventually may decrease blood flow to the brain or other parts of the body.
• Obesity: Being overweight increases the odds of stroke and is linked to other diseases (heart diseases, diabetes, and high blood pressure).

Prevention

Some tips may help to prevent a second stroke:

• Taking medication: If your physician has prescribed medications to control cholesterol, diabetes, or blood pressure, make sure you take medications regularly. You should not miss your doses. Even if you feel better, you should not discontinue your medications. Not taking medication is a significant risk factor that may cause stroke again.
• Exercise: You should work out (cardio) for at least two and half hours a week. Aerobic exercises such as walking and riding a bicycle can help you manage the risk factors of stroke.
• Healthy lifestyle: You should incorporate healthy eating habits. Avoid junk food and shift to the Mediterranean (fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low processed foods). Avoid or restrict salt consumption. You should quit smoking and use aids like nicotine patches if you are smoking. It is also best to avoid or quit alcohol consumption.

These changes help reduce the chances of stroke and help manage other diseases such as obesity, diabetes, blood pressure, or high cholesterol.