A Stroke: What Is It?
When an artery becomes blocked or broken you will find that you are at risk for nerve damage and a stroke. It is a very common condition that will leave a person extremely disabled. This can cause your brain cells to die and it is not something that can be fixed or repaired. One of the most common types of strokes is known as the Ischemic stroke and it is caused by an artery. Depending on the individual, you may have different side effects from the stroke. It may not be too disabling, but it could also leave you completely crippled. It is important that you do everything that you can, to not end up having a stroke and that you will not have to deal with these types of disadvantages in life.
Did you know that the right and left side of the brain will control different sides of your body? The two sides control the opposite side of the body so if paralysis occurs it will likely only be to one half of your body. If you happen to have a stroke and it affects the right part of your brain you will lose your vision. One the other hand, strokes affecting the left side may cause speech problems as a result. Any brain cells that die will cause memory loss and paralysis that may affect parts of or the entire side of your body.
High cholesterol is the leading cause of having clogged arteries and that will cause you to have a stroke or a heart attack. It is also related directly to developing heart disease, which makes you susceptible to heart related problems, which include stroke and heart attack. The doctor that you go to will be able to test your cholesterol levels at any time in your life, but you should get it checked frequently once you become eighteen and older. Do not wait to get checked out. There is therefore need to maintain a proper balance in the ratio levels of L D L- Low Density Lipoprotein to H D L- High Density Lipoprotein, as will be discussed later.
Being overweight, smoking, poor diet, lack of physical activity, and genetics can all be causes of elevated levels that may cause you harm. Also, to fight your chances of a stroke, you will want to use exercise and a diet to help you battle your high cholesterol. It may also be necessary to restrict your diet to get rid of sugars and saturated fats because they can cause elevated levels of bad cholesterol. You may also want to ask your doctor about certain medications that you can take to control your cholesterol.
Heart disease, unfortunately does not give advance warning signs, so one can prevent it. It only becomes apparent when it is too late or almost too late to do something about it. We, however, need to be especially careful if there is a past family history of heart disease and be wary of the risk factors. The major risk factors as stated above are divided into two categories: Primary and Secondary.
Primary risk factors include:
• Being overweight or obese.
• Cigarette smoking.
• High Blood Pressure condition or Hypertension.
• High Blood Cholesterol Levels.
Secondary risk factors include;
• Lack of exercise and an inactive lifestyle.
• Excessive intake of alcoholic drinks.
• Sugar Disease or Diabetes.
• H D L – density lipoprotein-Cholesterol Low Levels.
• In females, use of contraceptives with oestrogen content.
• A Stressful Lifestyle.
Finally friends and family should encourage that you go see a doctor periodically so that you can avoid the horrors of a stroke. You will want to get annual and regular checkups to see if you are at risk of a stroke or heart disease. With the high cholesterol, you will be at risk of a stroke and you will need to be kept under strict observation and control to help prevent this disease from afflicting you.
