A stroke happens when blood flow to a part of your brain is cut off. Without the oxygen in the blood, brain cells start dying within minutes. To help prevent a stroke, learn about the causes and the things that can raise your odds of getting one.
Types
A stroke can happen in two main ways: Something blocks the flow of blood, or something causes bleeding in the brain.
Ischemic stroke. In 8 out of 10 strokes, a blood vessel that takes blood to your brain gets plugged. It happens when fatty deposits in arteries break off and travel to the brain or when poor blood flow from an irregular heartbeat forms a blood clot.
Hemorrhagic stroke. It’s less common than an ischemic stroke but can be more serious. A blood vessel in your brain balloons up and bursts, or a weakened one leaks. Uncontrolled high blood pressure and taking too much blood thinner medicine can lead to this kind of stroke.
Some people have what’s called a transient ischemic attack (TIA). This “mini-stroke” is due to a temporary blockage. It doesn’t cause permanent brain damage, but it raises your odds of having a full-scale stroke.
Causes
You can treat some conditions that make you more likely to have a stroke. Other things that put you at risk can’t be changed:
High blood pressure. Your doctor may call it hypertension. It’s the biggest cause of strokes. If your blood pressure is typically 130/80 or higher, your doctor will discuss treatments with you.
Tobacco. Smoking or chewing it raises your odds of a stroke. Nicotine makes your blood pressure go up. Cigarette smoke causes a fatty buildup in your main neck artery. It also thickens your blood and makes it more likely to clot. Even secondhand smoke can affect you.
Heart disease. This condition includes defective heart valves as well as atrial fibrillation, or irregular heartbeat, which causes a quarter of all strokes among the very elderly. You can also have clogged arteries from fatty deposits.
Diabetes. People who have it often have high blood pressure and are more likely to be overweight. Both raise the chance of a stroke. Diabetes damages your blood vessels, which makes a stroke more likely. If you have a stroke when your blood sugar levels are high, the injury to your brain is greater.
Weight and exercise. Your chances of a stroke may go up if you’re overweight. You can lower your odds by working out every day. Take a brisk 30-minute walk, or do muscle-strengthening exercises like pushups and working with weights.
Medications. Some medicines can raise your chances of stroke. For instance, blood-thinning drugs, which doctors suggest to prevent blood clots, can sometimes make a stroke more likely through bleeding. Studies have linked hormone therapy, used for menopause symptoms like hot flashes, with a higher risk of strokes. And low-dose estrogen in birth control pills may also make your odds go up.
Age. Anyone could have a stroke, even babies in the womb. Generally, your chances go up as you get older. They double every decade after age 55.
Family. Strokes can run in families. You and your relatives may share a tendency to get high blood pressure or diabetes. Some strokes can be brought on by a genetic disorder that blocks blood flow to the brain.
Gender. Women are slightly less likely to have a stroke than men of the same age. But women have strokes at a later age, which makes them less likely to recover and more likely to die as a result.
Race. Strokes affect African-Americans and nonwhite Hispanic Americans much more often than any other group in the U.S. Sickle cell disease, a genetic condition that can narrow arteries and interrupt blood flow, is also more common in these groups and in people whose families came from the Mediterranean, the Middle East, or Asia.
Sources:
- CDC: “Stroke.”
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: “Brain Basics: Preventing Stroke.”
- Cleveland Clinic: “Know Your Risk Factors for Stroke,” “Transient Ischemic Attack,” “Understanding Stroke,” “What is a Stroke?”
- Merck Manuals Online: “Stroke: Introduction.”
- National Stroke Association: “Am I at risk for a stroke?” “Hemorrhagic stroke,” “What Is Stroke?”
- Womenshealth.gov: “Stroke.”
- American Heart Association: “Stroke Risk Factors.”
- American Stroke Association: “Let’s Talk About Risk Factors for Stroke,” “Stroke Risks.”
- American College of Cardiology: “Understanding Risks of Stroke and Blood Thinners.”
- American Society of Hematology: “Sickle Cell Anemia.”
Important Notice: This article was originally published at www.webmd.com where all credits are due. Medically reviewed by Minesh Khatri, MD.
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