I had worked with some service professionals three years ago and it turns out that I am in the market for their services again.

Without going into much detail, this service involves a lot of moolah, a lot of paper work and they like to put up “showings”. You should have guessed what it is by now.

Anyway, I was saddened to find out that my point person on the team had been sidelined by a stroke and had to retire due to disabilities that resulted from the stroke.

This came close home for me because I have had close family members and patients lose their independence after having a stroke.

If I have made my case well, you are probably terrified of the prospects of ever suffering from a stroke. You should be.

Stroke is a leading cause of disability in adults and makes it into the first 10 of known killers of Americans.

Strokes happen when there is a blood clot or a blow out (bleed) in the blood vessels of the brain.

The good news is that you retain a lot of control with limiting your chances of ever having a stroke.

All the stuff you do to limit your chances of having a heart attack are the same things you would do for limiting your chances of getting a brain attack AKA stroke.

I expect you to know them by heart already but they bear repeating for the sake of reinforcement;

1. Do not smoke. If you do, you have to quit NOW!

Smoking increases your chances for experiencing blood clots in the blood vessels.

2. Keep your blood pressure under control.

Sustained elevated blood pressure could blow out a blood vessel in the brain causing a bleed in there.

3. Keep your cholesterol under control.

High cholesterol increases your risk for forming plaques in the blood vessels which could then occlude the free flow of blood in the vessels, essentially acting like blood clots.

4. Keep your blood sugar under control.

Diabetes causes changes in the blood vessels that make you more prone to forming plaques or blood clots.

5. Stay physically active.

Exercise and physically activity helps to keep blood flowing, keeps the blood pressure down, keeps the blood sugar down and keeps cholesterol down.

There will always be risks you can’t control for like your genes, your age or your ethnicity for instance.

You just do your best and for the uncontrollable risks; the serenity prayer phrase “God give me the courage to accept the things I can’t change” comes into play.

About the author

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Dr. Bola

Family physician. Works for the "man" by day, wife & mom 24/7.
Loves the work of translating "medicalese" to plain english.

6 Comments

  • Hi Dr. Bola,
    Great article, and I’m glad to say I’m following those steps as best that I can.

    I hope your packing is going well. I hope the move goes smoothly for you and your family. I will keep you all in my prayers.

    I will be having cataract surgery on my left eye on July 13. I am so ready for this, but admit to being a bit nervous. I just turned 70 last week, and am doing all I can to fight aging. LOL.

    Thanks so much for your caring ways. I enjoy your notes and your articles very much.

    Sincerely,
    Judi Parker

    • Hey Ms. Parker,

      Good to hear from you. Busy, crazy times at my end. Packing is never fun. All the best with the surgery. You are in good hands there so I trust that you will have a splendid outcome.

      Hope to meet you (in person) soon.

  • Hello Dr. Bola,
    I liked your article. As a fitness and wellness coach I can’t agree more. A healthy lifestyle consists of a clean eating diet, full of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds. Rest is very important! Getting to bed at a decent time to give the cells in your body time to repair and grow. Hydration is detrimental to ones health. Drinking half of your weight in ounces is s great baseline. Exercise is so important to keep you at a healthy weight and it makes you feel energetic and strong. Fresh air and sun light. I’m an advocate for health.

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