Stroke Prevention – How to do it

Some medical conditions and lifestyle choices can lead to a higher risk for a stroke. You can help to prevent a stroke by making nutrition, lifestyle, and other changes.

What nutrition changes can be made?

• Eat healthy foods.
  • Choose foods that are high in fiber. These include:
    • Fresh fruits.
    • Fresh vegetables.
    • Whole grains.
  • Eat at least 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Try to fill half of your plate at each meal with fruits and vegetables.
  • Choose lean protein foods. These include:
    • Lowfat (lean) cuts of meat.
    • Chicken without skin.
    • Fish.
    • Tofu.
    • Beans.
    • Nuts.
  • Eat low-fat dairy products.
  • Avoid foods that:
    • Are high in salt (sodium).
    • Have saturated fat.
    • Have trans fat.
    • Have cholesterol.
    • Are processed.
    • Are premade.
• Follow eating guidelines as told by your doctor. These may include:
  • Reducing how many calories you eat and drink each day.
  • Limiting how much salt you eat or drink each day to 1,500 milligrams (mg).
  • Using only healthy fats for cooking. These include:
    • Olive oil.
    • Canola oil.
    • Sunflower oil.
  • Counting how many carbohydrates you eat and drink each day.

What lifestyle changes can be made?

• Try to stay at a healthy weight. Talk to your doctor about what a good weight is for you.
• Get at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least 5 days a week. This can include:
  • Fast walking.
  • Biking.
  • Swimming.
• Do not use any products that have nicotine or tobacco. This includes cigarettes and e-cigarettes. If you need help quitting, ask your doctor. Avoid being around tobacco smoke in general.
• Limit how much alcohol you drink to no more than 1 drink a day for nonpregnant women and 2 drinks a day for men. One drink equals 12 oz of beer, 5 oz of wine, or 1½ oz of hard liquor.
• Do not use drugs.
• Avoid taking birth control pills. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking birth control pills if:
  • You are over 35 years old.
  • You smoke.
  • You get migraines.
  • You have had a blood clot.

What other changes can be made?

• Manage your cholesterol.
  • It is important to eat a healthy diet.
  • If your cholesterol cannot be managed through your diet, you may also need to take medicines. Take medicines as told by your doctor.
• Manage your diabetes.
  • It is important to eat a healthy diet and to exercise regularly.
  • If your blood sugar cannot be managed through diet and exercise, you may need to take medicines. Take medicines as told by your doctor.
• Control your high blood pressure (hypertension).
  • Try to keep your blood pressure below 130/80. This can help lower your risk of stroke.
  • It is important to eat a healthy diet and to exercise regularly.
  • If your blood pressure cannot be managed through diet and exercise, you may need to take medicines. Take medicines as told by your doctor.
  • Ask your doctor if you should check your blood pressure at home.
  • Have your blood pressure checked every year. Do this even if your blood pressure is normal.
• Talk to your doctor about getting checked for a sleep disorder. Signs of this can include:
  • Snoring a lot.
  • Feeling very tired.
• Take over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your doctor. These may include aspirin or blood thinners (antiplatelets or anticoagulants).
• Make sure that any other medical conditions you have are managed.

Where to find more information

• American Stroke Association: www.strokeassociation.org  
• National Stroke Association: www.stroke.org  

Get help right away if:

• You have any symptoms of stroke. “BE FAST” is an easy way to remember the main warning signs:
  • B – Balance. Signs are dizziness, sudden trouble walking, or loss of balance.
  • E – Eyes. Signs are trouble seeing or a sudden change in how you see.
  • F – Face. Signs are sudden weakness or loss of feeling of the face, or the face or eyelid drooping on one side.
  • A – Arms. Signs are weakness or loss of feeling in an arm. This happens suddenly and usually on one side of the body.
  • S – Speech. Signs are sudden trouble speaking, slurred speech, or trouble understanding what people say.
  • T – Time. Time to call emergency services. Write down what time symptoms started.
• You have other signs of stroke, such as:
  • A sudden, very bad headache with no known cause.
  • Feeling sick to your stomach (nausea).
  • Throwing up (vomiting).
  • Jerky movements you cannot control (seizure).

These symptoms may represent a serious problem that is an emergency. Do not wait to see if the symptoms will go away. Get medical help right away. Call your local emergency services (911 in the U.S.). Do not drive yourself to the hospital.

Summary

• You can prevent a stroke by eating healthy, exercising, not smoking, drinking less alcohol, and treating other health problems, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol.
• Do not use any products that contain nicotine or tobacco, such as cigarettes and e-cigarettes.
• Get help right away if you have any signs or symptoms of a stroke.