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Lifestyle Habits that increase the risk of stroke

Stroke is a severe health condition that may occur at any point catching people off guard with its devastating and life-altering outcomes. Certain risk factors like age, and genetics are beyond one’s control but there are other factors that lie hidden in people’s daily routine and lifestyle that may be inadvertently pushing them toward this condition. So if you work long hours, don’t brush and floss your teeth at night, etc it may be time to sit up and pay attention.

Let’s discuss the lifestyle habits that increase the chances of stroke and how to minimize the risk.

Lifestyle Habits That Increase the Risk of Stroke

1- Alcohol: Let’s begin with the big ones. Alcohol has been called out by all the health experts as a stairway to multiple serious health issues. Stroke is one of them. According to them, more than two drinks per day can significantly increase blood pressure and increase the chances of a stroke.

2- Smoking: Smoking doesn’t need an introduction either. In addition to causing damage to the heart and lungs, smoking doubles the risk of an ischemic stroke. Quitting smoke will decrease the risk and also helps in controlling other associated health conditions.

3- Unhealthy Eating Habits: If your diet is high in sodium, and cholesterol (trans fat, and saturated fat) you may be inviting stroke right at your doorstep. Instead consume meals that contain a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, have a high fiber content, and are low in cholesterol and sodium. The key is to avoid processed foods like chips, biscuits, and frozen foods as they contain hidden amounts of high sodium.

4– Sedentary Lifestyle: This could be one of the reasons why the age of stroke seems to have becoming lesser. This means people suffer from strokes at a relatively younger age than before. The current generation seems to prefer staying glued to their screens rather than taking a walk, exercising, or doing any kind of physical activity. This has led to an increase in body fat, weakening of muscles, reduction in bone density, slowed down metabolism, and compromising of the body’s immune system. This kind of lazy lifestyle can be a gateway to stroke.

5- Stress: This one is a silent killer. When stressed, the body pumps adrenaline, which affects the heart rate and blood pressure. With time the blood vessels get affected and increase the risk of a heart attack and stroke.

6-Sleep: When you sleep the cardiovascular system in your body gets the needed rest after a hard day’s work. The pulse rate and the blood pressure rise and fall as per the sleep stages and in response to the dreams. These fluctuations support heart health say experts. When a person is sleep-deprived for prolonged periods, the cortisol and adrenaline levels in their bodies go high just like in a stressful situation and increase the chances of stroke.

Tips to Prevent the Chances of Stroke

1. Make a list of the lifestyle changes you wish to make.
2. Segregate them into short-term and long-term ones.
3. Set goals and the timeline within which you want to achieve them.
4. Decide to replace processed food with fresher options and homemade food.
5. Make it a point to reduce screen time and ensure you sleep well completely within your quota of eight hours daily.
6. Every time you feel anxious, take a short break and practice deep breathing to cool down your body and calm your mind. Include meditation in your daily routine.
7. Try and include at least one physical activity in your schedule. It could be a walk, a jog, or yoga if the gym is not your style.
8. Sitting is termed as the new smoking so try and walk about as much as you can while working.
9. Replace alcohol, fizzy and caffeinated drinks with plain simple water to keep yourself healthy and hydrated. (hyperlink the dehydration blog here)
10. Try to reduce the number of cigarettes per day and eventually give up smoking. Vaping too is as harmful.
11. Laugh as often as you can and spend quality time with family and friends.
12. Pursue a hobby and balance your day with at least one thing that you genuinely enjoy doing.

Stroke is catching up fast. The above-mentioned lifestyle habits could be the reason for its speed. Take a pause and reflect on what you need to change and how. Small, consistent, and proactive steps that you take today may have a lasting impact on your entire life for years to come and keep the life- altering and disruptive health condition at bay.