A stroke occurs when blood flow to a part of your brain is interrupted. Without the oxygen supplied by blood, brain cells begin to die within minutes. Understanding the causes and risk factors can help you prevent a stroke.
Strokes occur in two main ways: blood flow to the brain is blocked, or there is bleeding in the brain.
1. Ischemic Stroke:This type accounts for 8 out of 10 strokes. It happens when a blood vessel carrying blood to the brain gets obstructed, often by fatty deposits in arteries breaking off and traveling to the brain, or by a blood clot formed due to irregular heartbeat.
2.Hemorrhagic Stroke: Although less common, this type can be more serious. It occurs when a blood vessel in the brain bursts or leaks. Uncontrolled high blood pressure and excessive use of blood thinners can lead to hemorrhagic strokes.
Several conditions and lifestyle choices can increase your risk of stroke. Some risk factors are treatable, while others are beyond your control:
1. High Blood Pressure: Also known as hypertension, this is the leading cause of strokes. Blood pressure readings consistently at 140/90 or higher warrant medical treatment.
2. Tobacco Use: Smoking or chewing tobacco increases stroke risk. Nicotine raises blood pressure, while cigarette smoke promotes fatty deposits in neck arteries and thickens the blood, increasing clot likelihood. Even secondhand smoke can be harmful.
3. Heart Disease: This includes defective heart valves and atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat), responsible for a significant number of strokes in the elderly. Clogged arteries due to fatty deposits also contribute.
4. Diabetes: Diabetics often have high blood pressure and are more likely to be overweight, both of which elevate stroke risk. Diabetes damages blood vessels, further increasing stroke likelihood. High blood sugar levels during a stroke can worsen brain damage.
5. Weight and Exercise: Being overweight can raise stroke risk. Regular physical activity, like a daily brisk 30-minute walk or muscle-strengthening exercises, can help reduce this risk.
6. Medications: Some drugs, such as blood thinners, can increase stroke risk by causing bleeding. Hormone therapy for menopause symptoms and low-dose estrogen in birth control pills have also been linked to higher stroke risk.
7. Age: While anyone can have a stroke, the risk increases with age, doubling every decade after age 55.
8. Family History: Strokes can be hereditary, as high blood pressure or diabetes tendencies can run in families. Some genetic disorders that block blood flow to the brain can also cause strokes.
9.Gender:Men are slightly more likely to have a stroke than women of the same age. However, women tend to have strokes at older ages, leading to a higher likelihood of severe outcomes and mortality.
10.Race: African-Americans and nonwhite Hispanic Americans have a higher incidence of strokes than other groups in the U.S. Sickle cell disease, more common in these populations and those with Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, or Asian ancestry, can narrow arteries and disrupt blood flow, increasing stroke risk.
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