While getting older and your genetic heritage are big factors in whether you’ll have a stroke, you can make changes that will lower your chances. Harvard Health Blog lists seven things we can do to reduce the risk of having a stroke:
- Lower your blood pressure.
- Lose weight.
- Exercise more.
- Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all.
- Treat arterial fibrillation — if you’re experiencing heart palpitations or shortness of breath, see your doctor, as this “form of irregular heartbeat that causes clots to form in the heart” makes it almost five times more likely you’ll have a stroke.
- Treat diabetes.
- Quit smoking.
Use the “FAST” acronym in the graphic to help identify when a stroke is occurring. Signs of a stroke include weakness on one side of the body, numbness of the face, unusual and severe headache, vision loss, numbness and tingling, and unsteady walk.