Be Your Own Advocate

Do you know the warning signs of stroke? Fewer than one in five Americans can identify even one stroke symptom, yet stroke is the third leading cause of death, after cancer and heart disease. Stroke is also the leading cause of adult disability.

Empower yourself by learning more about stroke, knowing the warning signs and doing everything you can to minimize your risk. Educate your friends and family, too.

Warning Signs

Learn the warning signs of stroke and teach them to others. With stroke, every second counts. If you observe on or more of these signs, call 911 or emergency medical services and get to a hospital right away.

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one
side of the body

• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech

• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes

• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination

• Sudden severe headache with no known cause

Controllable Risk Factors

High Blood Pressure

Keep Your Blood Pressure Within Normal Range. High blood pressure is the biggest risk factor for stroke. Often called "the silent killer", there are no symptoms of high blood pressure. The only way to know if your blood pressure is high is to have it checked. If you have high blood pressure, work with your doctor to lower it and keep it within normal range.

Maintain a healthy weight – being overweight increases your risk of developing high blood pressure. Blood pressure rises as body weight increases. It is important to lose weight slowly because it offers the best chance of long-term success. Use the Body Mass Index and waist circumference to your height. The reason your waist measurement is important is that too much body fat in the stomach area is linked to increased disease risk.

Become physically active; it prevents and controls high blood pressure you only need 30 minutes of moderate-level physical activity 5 to 7 days a week. Examples of moderate physical activity is brisk walking, bicycling, raking leaves and gardening. If you are wheelchair-bound, wheeling yourself for 30 to 40 minutes. You can even divide the 30 minutes into shorter 10-minute increments.

Eating foods with nutrients that prevent and reduce elevated blood pressure. Eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy products, whole grains, poultry, fish and nuts. Reducing sodium and sugar intake will benefit the effects to a significant degree.

Smoking

Join a smoking cessation class. The success rate of quitting is an s high as 65% in a group program. There is power with group support.

Learning techniques to break the pattern of your habit and your physical dependency of nicotine.

Benefits of quitting over time

- 20 minutes after quitting your heart rate and blood pressure drops

- 12 hours after quitting the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal

- 2 weeks to 3 months after quitting your circulation improves and your lung function increases

- 1 to 9 months after quitting coughing and shortness of breath decreases

- 1 year after quitting the excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker

- 5 to 15 years after quitting your stroke risks is reduced to that of a non smoker

- 15 years after quitting the risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non-smoker

Diabetes

You can help delay the onset of type 2 diabetes by eating a healthy diet and by becoming more physically active on a regular basis.

Know the symptoms of diabetes and make an appointment for a check-up with your doctor if you are having any of the following symptoms:

Know that a diagnosis of pre-diabetes is a wake-up call since most people will develop diabetes within 10 years of this diagnosis.

If you are 45 or older and are overweight you should be tested for pre-diabetes; if you are under 45 and have:

- high blood pressure

- low HDL cholesterol and high triglycerides

- family history of diabetes or gestational diabetes

- you are African-American or Hispanic/Latino

- given birth to a baby weighing more than 9 lbs.

Heart Disease

Unhealthy lifestyle beginning in childhood is the main cause of cardiovascular disease. They are poor dietary habits, lack of physical activity, elevated blood cholesterol and sugar, and smoking.

Besides improving diet and physical activity, quitting smoking, controlling blood sugar and high cholesterol; there is preventive, treatable methods through drugs and surgery.

Stress can be a contributing factor to increased risk of heart disease. People under stress are more likely to over eat and start smoking. Reducing your response to stress through relaxation techniques and low-stress activities can help reduce your response to stress.