Stroke
September 13th, 2006 by RespiteMatch.com
Risk Factors For Stroke
Some risk factors for stroke — age, gender, family history and race — cannot be changed. Other risk factors — transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol level, obesity, physical inactivity, alcohol use, irregular heartbeat — can be modified, treated or managed.
Age
Increased age is the dominant risk factor for stroke.
Gender
Men have a slightly higher risk of getting stroke than women; however, by age 75, stroke is 26% more common in women than in men.
Family history
A family history of heart disease or stroke before age 65 increases one’s likelihood of stroke.
Race
Black Canadians and Asian Canadians have a higher rate of stroke than Caucasian Canadians.
Previous transient ischemic attack (TIA) or mini-stroke
A person having a TIA will experience stroke symptoms for a few seconds, minutes, or up to an hour, then the symptoms will pass. A TIA may leave little or no permanent brain damage; however, up to 20% of people who have had one or more TIAs are at risk of having a stroke within a year.
Smoking
Cigarette smoking can lead to stroke. Quitting smoking can reduce a person’s risk of stroke by 22% after two years, and by 90% after four years.
High blood pressure
Left untreated, high blood pressure brings a 40% chance of stroke within 10 years.
Diabetes
Adult-onset diabetes (Type 2 diabetes) is also a significant risk factor for high blood pressure and heart disease.
Elevated blood cholesterol
Excess cholesterol clogs the arteries, increasing the risk of stroke.
Excess weight/obesity
Excess weight can cause a person to develop high blood pressure and diabetes, which are risk factors for stroke. The greater the obesity, the greater the risk of stroke.
Physical inactivity
Exercising for 20 minutes, three times a week helps guard against stroke and several risk factors for stroke-high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.
Excessive alcohol use
Heavy drinking (more than two drinks a day) and binge drinking appear to increase the risk of hemorraghic stroke.
Irregular heartbeat
Atrial fibrillation occurs when the muscle fibres in the upper chambers (atria) of the heart beat out of rhythm. Atrial fibrillation is a risk factor for ischemic stroke.
Top
Things to Look For
Warning signs of stroke
sudden weaknesses
sudden numbness or tingling in face, arms, legs, especially on one side
sudden trouble speaking or understanding speech, slurred speech
sudden loss of vision in one eye, or double vision
sudden, intense, unusual headache
dizziness, unsteadiness, sudden fall, especially combined with any of the above signs
Note: Stroke-like symptoms can also signal infection such as meningitis, a drug overdose or a seizure.
Special Situations
Aphasia — speech and language problems
Aphasia is difficulty with speech and language, due to stroke, brain injury or a neurological condition. A person with aphasia may have trouble reading, writing, talking, understanding speech and language. Whether the aphasia is short-term or permanent, the inability to communicate can be a major source of frustration for stroke survivors and caregivers.
Types of aphasia:
Receptive aphasia
A person with receptive aphasia cannot understand language, cannot take in (receive) what is being said or communicated.
Expressive aphasia
A person with expressive aphasia knows what he wants to say but cannot express it.
Global aphasia
With global aphasia, a person can neither understand what is being communicated nor express what he is thinking.
A speech and language therapist can help the stroke survivor improve or regain use of language. The therapist can also provide the caregiver tips and techniques to improve communication.
Chewing and swallowing problems/dysphagia
Dementia
Depression
Mood, behaviour and personality changes can occur as a result of brain damage from stroke; or as result of the survivor’s reaction to the effect of the stroke on his body, his mind, his sense of himself and his life circumstances. The mood swings and behavioural changes may lessen as the person recovers. However, up to half of all stroke survivors show signs of depression in the two years immediately following a stroke.
Watch for signs of depression and arrange for professional help from a family doctor, psychologist or psychiatrist.
Incontinence
Loss of awareness/neglect
Nerve damage from stroke can cause a loss of sensation along one side of the body. This loss of feeling, combined with muscle weakness, may cause a person to lose awareness of the impaired side and neglect it.
Encourage the stroke survivor to become aware of the impaired side.
Rearrange objects in the home so that they are oriented towards the side that is not impaired.
Memory problems,
Stroke can affect learning and memory so that a person may only remember small units of information at time and have a short attention span.
Use memory aids, such as written notes, index cards and appointment books. Break up tasks into small steps.
Pain
Stroke survivors may experience extreme pain from bearing the weight of muscles and limbs that are not being used, due to muscle weakness or paralysis.
Ask a physiotherapist about special stretching exercises to prevent muscle shortening and minimize muscle stiffness and pain.
