How to Prevent a Stroke or a Heart Attack

Heart attack and stroke are the two main causes of sudden death that affect both women and men. Both of them occur due to interruption of blood flow to the brain or the heart. The sign of a heart attack are nausea, cold sweat, lightheartedness, short breaths and chest discomfort. For stroke, symptoms include sudden headaches, speech difficulties, weakness or numbness of the body and face dropping.

Smoking, age, cholesterol, high blood pressure and excessive drinking are only a few of the causes of strokes and heart attacks.

prevent stroke and heart attack

Here is a list of 10 tips that you can follow to decrease the chances of getting a stroke or a heart attack:

Always stay informed – being clueless about what can cause a heart attack or a stroke is not at all beneficial for your health. Knowing the major risk factors of these 2 diseases can help you control them. High blood pressure, bad cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, obesity, excessive drinking, stress and physical inactivity are the causes of both stroke and heart attack.
Change your diet – stop eating fatty foods and increase the fruits and vegetables intake daily. Maintaining your heart healthy implies eating natural and organic foods. Make sure to eat your minerals, fibers, vitamins and other nutrients and lower your calories intake.
Quit smoking – smoking is one of the main causes of stroke and heart attack. The chemicals in tobacco ruin the blood cells, leading to damages in the blood vessels and heart.
Keep a healthy body weight – fat around your waistline increases the insulin resistance, the risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol. If you are overweight, start by eating healthier and exercise a little bit to prevent the risk of a stroke or a heart attack.
Exercise a bit every day – active people have less chances of getting a heart attack and can also recover faster than sedentary people. Exercises reduce stress, weight, blood pressure and cholesterol.
Do not stress out – anxiety, stress and depression affect the heart, according to a study conducted in 2014. Negative emotions increase the chances of getting cardiovascular diseases and level up the pro-inflammatory chemicals. Overly stressed people are more likely to start smoking and drinking.
Get quality sleep – people who are sleep deprived tend to snack a little more than those who sleep enough. At the same time, they will gain weight and increase the chances of a heart condition. You should sleep around 6-8 hours per night and if you can wake up without your alarm clock it means you got enough sleep.
Manage your drinking habits – consumed in moderation, red wine can prevent your heart from getting a heart condition, but excessive drinking can do the opposite.
Go to the doctor regularly – taking tests regularly can prevent the development of a heart condition or a stroke. Regular screenings will detect the problems early and so that you can get treatment as soon as possible.
Keep your health problems in check – if you are suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, make sure you manage your health and take good care of you.