Top 8 Things You Can Do To Prevent Strokes

As part of our preventive medicine series, I chose to discuss stroke prevention, especially since May is Stroke Awareness month.

What is a stroke?

A Stroke is an event where there is sudden lack of blood flow to the brain, causing brain damage. There are 2 types of strokes, ischemic and hemorrhagic.

Ischemic strokes are ones in which a blood clot blocks your arteries and causing brain damage from lack of blood flow. Hemorrhagic strokes are ones in which a blood vessel bursts and there is blood in the brain causing brain damage.

5 Signs of Stroke

• Weakness and/or numbness on one side of the body

• Sudden confusion

• Trouble speaking or understanding speech.

• Sudden vision problems in one or both eyes.

• Difficulty walking , balance or coordination problems, or dizziness

• Severe headache

Strokes are the 3rd leading cause of death in the US each year. Approximately 795,000 people in the US suffer a stroke each year. Interestingly, 80% of strokes are related to lifestyle and are preventable!

Top 8 Lifestyle Changes to Prevent Strokes

1. Quit Smoking

2. Lower your blood pressure

3. Lower your cholesterol

4. Lose Weight

5. Exercise more

6. Treat your diabetes

7. Drink Alcohol only in moderation

8. Treat your Atrial Fibrillation (if you have it)

MediBookr can help you get on the right track by lowering your chance of getting a stroke. We can help you find a primary doctor who can manage your diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and even help with lifestyle modifications such as losing weight and quitting smoking. To get started, log in to the MediBookr app and search for a primary doctor or contact us at Support@MediBookr.com.

-Dr. Ronnie Shalev is a board certified Emergency Medicine Physician and the Chief Medical Officer at MediBookr