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Stop Stroke
When
it comes to leading causes of death in men, stroke doesn't win, place,
or show. At number four, it can't get quite the respect accorded to heart
disease, cancer, or accidents. What death statistics fail to reveal, however,
is what happens to those who don't die.
Only about 150,000 die out of the 550,000 people who have strokes each
year. But of those 400,000 survivors, more than half have some permanent
disability that interferes with everyday activities. More than 3,000,000
people, a majority of them men, are living with the aftereffects of stroke.
To understand why stroke can be so debilitating, you need to know what
causes it. Put simply, stroke is a loss of blood flow to parts of the
brain. This may happen because of a blood clot, or it may be the result
of a ruptured blood vessel. In either case, brain cells don't survive
long without blood.
When brain cells die, certain bodily functions may go with them. Damage
to the right side of the brain may cause paralysis on the left side of
the body, visual problems, and unusual behavior. Left side damage affects
the right side of the body, and interferes with speech, hearing, and memory.
Although intensive physical therapy can help a person who has had a stroke
regain some function, the brain cells never regrow. Thus stroke is a
prime
example of a medical problem to be avoided. The leading causes are mostly
a familiar bunch:
- high
blood pressure
- heart
disease
- cigarette
smoking
- high
blood cholesterol
- excessive
alcohol consumption
- obesity
- lack
of exercise
In
addition, there are three other treatable risk factors that you
need to be aware of and your doctor needs to
check for. Transient ischemic
attacks are brief episodes of stroke symptoms:
-
numbness,
weakness or paralysis of the face, arm or leg—especially
on one side of the body
-
sudden
blurred or decreased vision
-
difficulty
speaking or understanding simple statements
-
loss
of coordination or balance, especially with other symptom
Report
such symptoms to your doctor promptly so you can be treated to prevent
a major
attack. Also, during
routine
exams
be sure
that your doctor
listens for abnormal sounds in the carotid
artery in your neck and checks for irregular
pulse.
Carotid bruits and
atrial fibrillation
are two esaily
recognized risk factors for stroke.
Guys,
pay attention to your health by eating right, exercising, and knowing
the danger
signs. That way
you'll restrict
your strokes to
genius and
the golf course.
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