Stroke is a “brain attack” cutting off vital blood and oxygen to the brain cells that control everything we do such as: speaking, walking, breathing, eating, dressing, bathing and even parts of our memory are affected. How a stroke affects a person depends on where the stroke occurs in the brain and how much the brain is damaged. What people don’t realize is that 80% of strokes are preventable; you can prevent a stroke!
Being over 55, male and having a family history of stroke are all risk factors you can't avoid, but there are other risk factors that are completely or partially within your control.
Reduce lifestyle risks. Being overweight, smoking and overuse of alcohol are all risk factors for stroke. Exercising regularly, watching what you eat, quitting smoking and limiting your use of alcohol will all reduce your chances of a stroke.
Reduce medical risks. High blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and high cholesterol are other risk factors of stroke. Take your medicine! Follow the doctor's orders. Elders on a fixed income may take a smaller dosage trying to make their prescriptions last longer.
We know that older adults often feel strongly that they do not want to be a burden on their families. They don't want to ask for help from their children. We have children and grandchildren, and we understand that feeling. Standing at a wake not long ago, for a woman who died in her fifties, a gentleman behind us made a comment that really stuck, "I wonder if she would have taken better care of herself if she had known how sad her children and grandchildren would be."
We cannot speak for every family, but we can guarantee that, for most families, younger people are more than happy to run into town to pick up a prescription for an older relative or to pay for needed medication. As a family member - ask! Ask your relatives, "I'm going to town, is there anything I can get for you while I am there? Do you have any prescriptions you need to get refilled, since I am going to be right next to the pharmacy?"
Next: Helping a family member after a stroke