How do you recognize the signals of stroke? Awareness
could reduce the damaging effects of a stroke, or even
save your life. Most people can easily identify the
warning signs of this dangerous development:
- Sudden, severe headache with no identifiable
cause; often referred to as “the worst headache of your
life.”
- Numbness, weakness or paralysis of one side of the
body in the face, arm or leg.
- Trouble speaking or understanding others’ speech.
- Sudden loss or blurring of vision.
- Inexplicable sudden dizziness, loss of balance or
lack of coordination – especially when combined with
the previous signs.
Some circumstances can make you more susceptible to
stroke. Increased risk factors include: being 55 or
older; smoking; high cholesterol; diabetes; obesity;
lack of exercise; a recent heart attack; atrial
fibrillation (irregular heartbeat); hypertension;
damaged heart valve(s); carotid artery disease;
excessive use of decongestants; excessive alcohol
consumption.
Various blood components have also been shown to
increase the susceptibility of stroke. These components
are lipoproteins, fibrinogens and homocysteines.
Lipoproteins carry fat – particularly cholesterol -
through the blood stream. These are the high and
low-density lipoproteins (HDL’s & LDL’s). In the
Copenhagen Heart Study of 693 stroke victims, it was
learned that triglyceride levels were directly linked
to nonhemorrhagic stroke. This means that the higher
your triglyceride levels the greater your risk for this
type of stroke.
Having a high level of fibrinogens in the blood
(protein that gets converted into fibrin; fibrin is
essential in the blood clotting process) has been shown
to be an even stronger risk factor for stroke than
cholesterol. This is thought to be due to the fact that
the higher these levels, the slower the blood moves
triggering plaque formation. According to a study done
on 140 stroke victims, the ones whom had higher levels
of fibrinogens had more arterial blockage.
Homocysteine is an amino acid naturally produced from
the metabolic processing of protein. Protein
intoxication can occur, however, when there is a lack
of sufficient enzymes in the body to convert
homocysteine to cytathionine, another amino acid. When
this happens, homocysteine levels in the body become
exceedingly high and begin destroying the cells and
tissues of the arteries. If not detected and treated,
this process can cause the degeneration of the
arteries, bringing the onset of heart disease.
Once you have fallen victim to stroke you are in an
increased risk category. Knowing the warning signs can
help decrease your risk of further stroke damage.