High blood pressure (hypertension) is the most important known risk factor for stroke. High blood pressure can cause damage to blood vessel walls, which may eventually lead to a stroke.
You can control your blood pressure by changing your diet and lifestyle. You can do this particularly through regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight.
our doctor may also prescribe medication. Normal blood pressure is around 120/80; if your blood pressure is consistently over 140/90 you have high blood pressure.
It is important to know your blood pressure numbers.
A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain results in cell death.
There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. They result in part of the brain not functioning properly.
Signs and symptoms of a stroke may include an inability to move or feel on one side of the body, problems understanding or speaking, feeling like the world is spinning, or loss of vision to one side.Signs and symptoms often appear soon after the stroke has occurred.If symptoms last less than one or two hours it is known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or mini-stroke. A hemorrhagic stroke may also be associated with a severe headache. The symptoms of a stroke can be permanent. Long-term complications may include pneumonia or loss of bladder control.
The main risk factor for stroke is high blood pressure.Other risk factors include tobacco smoking, obesity, high blood cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, previous TIA, and atrial fibrillation.