Strokes are a severe condition in which a part of your brain doesn’t get the right amount of blood flow. This may happen for a number of reasons, but all of them are serious.

What Types of Strokes Are There?

There are three types of strokes to be aware of. The first is an ischemic stroke, which is when a blockage stops the oxygen-rich blood from getting to the brain. Then there is a hemorrhagic stroke. A hemorrhagic stroke is when a rupture of a blood vessel interferes with the way the brain works. The last is a TIA or mini-stroke. It’s like an ischemic stroke, but it’s brief and does not cause permanent damage.

What Are the Signs of a Stroke?

If you recognise the signs of a stroke quickly, it may save a life. So, what are the symptoms? Here are the early warning signs you need to know:

• * Numbness or weakness of the arm, leg, or face

• * Confusion, suddenly having a hard time speaking, or trouble understanding speech

• * Difficulty seeing in one or both eyes

• * Difficulty walking, being off-balance, dizziness, or lack of coordination.

• * Severe headache without a known cause

How Can You Help Someone With These Symptoms?

It is important to call for help quickly. Do not attempt to transport a stroke victim yourself. Emergency services can treat the stroke. Calling them could very well save the person's life. There are four simple steps you can follow to find out if you should call emergency services.

• * Ask them to smile and check to see if one side of their face droops.

• * Ask them to raise both arms and watch for one arm drift down.

• * Ask them to repeat a simple phrase, and watch for slurred speech.

If you find any of these symptoms, you should call emergency services right away.

How Can You Prevent a Stroke?

When it comes to strokes prevention is key. There are many things that you can do to live a healthier lifestyle to help prevent a stroke. Some of these may seem hard or even impossible for you to do. Giving up habits built over a lifetime is a hard thing to do. Sydney allied health professionals can do more than provide care in the recovery a stroke, they can also provide health and wellbeing advice and education that may be able to help you lower your stroke risk.

What Role Does Blood Pressure Play?

One of the most important things you can do to reduce your likelihood of a stroke is getting high blood pressure under control. High blood pressure can double or quadruple the chance of a stroke. Those risks are the same for both men and women. A good goal is to keep your blood pressure below 120/80. Here some tips to get there:

• * Lower the amount of salt in your diet

• * Stay away from foods high in saturated fats

• * Have at least 4 servings of fruit and vegetables daily

• * Eat one serving of fish twice a week

• * Get plenty of whole grains and low-fat dairy

• * Exercise at least 30-minutes a day

• * Quit smoking

• * Limit alcohol consumption

If dizziness becomes an issue consider allied health professionals for help. They can help assess and mitigate all kinds of fall risks.

What Role Does Obesity Play?

Obesity also increases the chance of a stroke. Losing even a little bit of weight can help reduce that risk.

Is an Irregular Heartbeat a Bad Sign?

An irregular heartbeat may be a cause of concern. Irregular heartbeats can produce clots in the heart. Those clots can go to the brain, causing a stroke. If you have such a condition, it is important to see a doctor. There is medicine to treat it and lower the risk of a stroke.

Does Diabetes Increase My Stroke Risk?

In short, yes. Keeping track and monitoring your blood sugar is a big help. When you have high blood sugar, it can damage blood vessels. High blood sugar makes a higher risk for blood clots to form, causing a stroke.

As you can see, strokes are a serious health concern. Learn to watch for the symptoms of a stroke. Knowing them might save a life. Call emergency services as soon you notice them.