Prevention and Treatment
Can stress cause a stroke? What can you do to prevent a stroke in a distressed time?
The first step to preventing a stroke is knowing the signs and symptoms to get treatment quickly. If you’re concerned about your risk of having a stroke, talk to your doctor about what steps you can take today to reduce your risk.
It’s important to catch symptoms of stroke during a time of duress or low blood pressure. Numbness and tingling in the face, arm, or leg are the most common warning signs. It’s always essential to have an updated prescription for aspirin and other therapies when there is a heart condition.
But if you’re having trouble breathing, then your doctor has likely prescribed some extra control medications for high blood pressure as well. The good news is that many preventable strokes are simply due to high cholesterol issues. These can be treated with drugs and physical activity at least three times per week and eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon and walnuts; both will help detoxify aging cells from underperforming.
Don’t smoke. Given that smoking is associated with higher chances of having a stroke, it’s not a great idea to start smoking when stressed! In addition, if you do smoke and are stressed, then you’re stressing your heart. Therefore, smoking increases the odds 1) your blood pressure will go up 2) for clotting, and 3) for increased platelet activity. To sum up: don’t both stress and smoke and avoid both!
Eat well. When under duress or stress, we often eat sugary foods or drink caffeinated drinks, which messes with our body’s ability to maintain blood glucose levels because they increase insulin levels, decreasing their sensitivity to it. Blood sugar instability causes our heart rate to go up, which can lead to stroke. Make sure that your diet is balanced and has plenty of fruit and vegetables in every meal plan. It is wise to eat a healthy diet rich in whole foods that help reduce inflammation and provide antioxidants.
Exercise regularly, stay active and keep moving. A sedentary lifestyle is the enemy of heart health. So, if you’re feeling the signs of stress, try to move around more or even take a walk outside! This will help lower your blood pressure and improve your mood while also aiding in stress relief. Exercise regularly (without overdoing it). And remember, exercise can eliminate excess cortisol, which causes many of these issues.
Keep alcohol consumption low. Alcohol is a depressant and can make you feel relaxed, but it also causes dehydration, making our blood thicker. This puts an unnecessary strain on the heart because it has to pump harder when we are dehydrated for enough oxygen-rich blood to get around our bodies.
Proper sleep habits matter. Often, intense stress leads us to poor sleep habits. When we don’t get enough quality shut-eye, our bodies can enter into a state of “fight or flight” mode, and the production of hormones like cortisol shoots up. Cortisol has been shown to increase blood pressure levels and interfere with other processes in the body, such as digestion–which is not suitable for our heart health.
To alleviate the physical effects of stress, it is essential to learn how to calm your mind through relaxation techniques like meditation or yoga. You can practice mindfulness exercises.
Use your time wisely by taking care of yourself both mentally and physically. Stress will not only affect how you look on the outside; it also has a detrimental effect internally, which can lead to heart disease or stroke.
Take time to focus on how you would like your life and take steps in that direction. Follow the advice of the Stoics who said, “All bad things happen for a good reason.” The key is not to make small mistakes that could snowball into bigger ones down the road.
This way, our cardiovascular system will be healthy and strong.
