Stroke

A stroke occurs when blood supply to a part of the brain is cut off, and the cells in that part of the brain dies. When this happens, the functions that are controlled by that part of the brain are lost. Depending on which part of the brain is affected, a person may have different symptoms.

Blood is brought to the brain by blood vessels called arteries. A stroke happens when an artery to the brain is blocked or bursts. This may be due to high blood pressure or a weak artery wall from birth.

Causes & risk factors

Some risk factors for stroke are unchangeable (e.g. age and family history).

Others are related to our lifestyle. They include:

Smoking

Overweight
Being overweight increases your chances of getting other stroke risk factors like high blood pressure, heart disease, high blood cholesterol, atherosclerosis and diabetes.

Diet
Eating foods which have excess salt and are high in saturated fat can lead to high blood pressure and thus increase your risk of stroke.

Sedentary lifestyle
Being inactive increases your risk of being overweight and having other stroke risk factors.

Alcohol
Drinking too much alcohol increases your risk of stroke.

Stress
Stress, if not managed properly, can lead to high blood pressure.

Some medical conditions if poorly controlled can increase risk of stroke. These include:

• High blood pressure
• Atrial Fibrillation (a heart rhythm disorder)
• High LDL cholesterol
• Diabetes