A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is compromised. Once this happens, brain cells begin to die. Stroke is a disabling and potentially fatal ailment that affects millions of people without them even realizing it.
While the number of stroke patients, like many other brain diseases, continues to climb significantly, there is still a striking lack of awareness about it.
According to the health experts, “Many a time this plaque makes it harder for blood to get to your heart, which leads to completely blocks blood flow. Eventually, it can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Besides this, there are several other reasons which can lead to stroke, like unhealthy eating habits, lifestyle factor that increases the risk of death associated with the chronic diseases.”
Overconsumption of salty foods
People who eat foods high in sodium as part of their usual diet are more prone to have a stroke because sodium directly affects the heart. Consuming too many salty foods raises your risk of high blood pressure, a pre-existing illness that accounts for more than half of all stroke incidents globally. People who consumed more than 4,000 mg of sodium daily are at more risk of stroke compared to those who ate 2,000 mg or less.
Not staying active
Physical activity helps to keep your blood flowing and your heart robust. As per the experts, everybody should try to exercise for at least 30 minutes five days a week. There are many reasons why people may not be as active as they should be.
However, the COVID pandemic has given a lot of time to stay at home and make yourself fit. Exercising regularly is key to maintaining your heart health. Sometimes it can be boring, but you can try to make exercise fun, too.
Smoking
People who smoke regularly are at a higher risk of heart disease. It includes all forms of tobacco which cause blockages in the artery leading to the brain. The study finds out that nicotine also raises blood pressure and thickens the blood, increasing the amount of plaque buildup in the arteries.
When someone smokes a cigarette, they inhale around 5,000 chemicals into their body. One of these chemicals is carbon monoxide which decreases the amount of oxygen in your red blood cells, which damages your heart. Smoking is the cause of almost one-third of deaths from stroke in recent years.
Consumption of Alcohol
Drinking alcohol, especially binge drinking, thins the blood and increases the risk of stroke. As per the reports, since 1725 alcohol has been linked to stroke risk, likely because long-term drinking of more than two servings of alcohol per day can cause high blood pressure.
Consuming one to two drinks a day can increase the risk of stroke by 10 to 15 percent. Drinking more than four drinks each day can raise your risk of stroke by up to 35 percent. Further, it is found that drinking alcohol is associated with a higher risk for ischemic stroke compared with patients who never drank alcohol or stopped drinking after their diagnosis.
Stress
If you’re wondering if stress can trigger a stroke, then the answer is yes. It’s known that problems from work, juggling with kids, dealing with your partner are factors that can turn into stress. All of these things can raise your risk of cardiovascular disease, especially high blood pressure and heart disease.
And these days people are stressing over anything to everything due to their lifestyle. Stress can cause your blood pressure to rise, putting additional strain on your heart and arteries and potentially causing permanent damage. So, avoiding these habits and committing to a heart-healthy lifestyle can lower your risk of heart disease.
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