Healthy Lifestyle Can Decrease Chance of Stroke by up to 90%

S trokes are the second-leading cause of death in the world. According to the World Stroke Organization (WSO), one in four people will have a stroke during his or her lifetime. However, up to 90% of these incidents can be avoided with lifestyle changes.

To understand more about the disease, the Adventist South American News Agency (ASN) spoke with neurosurgeon Herisson Duarte Dias, a full member of the Brazilian Society of Neurosurgery and specialist in Neurosurgery Oncology with the National Cancer Institute. For him, the eight remedies of nature play a significant role in prevention.

There are two types of strokes. What are they and how do they happen?

The two types are ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. The first is caused by the obstruction of some artery in the brain, while the second occurs when there is a rupture in some cerebral blood vessels, thus causing bleeding.

Who is more likely to have a stroke? What practices facilitate a stroke?

Among the factors that are associated with an increased risk of having a stroke are: systemic arterial hypertension; certain heart diseases; diabetes mellitus; high cholesterol levels; sedentary lifestyle; smoking; use of alcoholic beverages; stress; and depression. People who have one or more of these factors are more likely to have this disease.

What are the visible symptoms of a stroke? And what do you do when you notice them?

The symptoms we must observe are varied and usually occur suddenly. Among them are: weakness or tingling in the face (often the two can be associated), arm, leg, or only one side of the body; mental confusion; change in speech or the way of understanding what is said; change in vision; balance change; dizziness; and sudden, onset, severe headache. From the onset of symptoms, you should immediately call an emergency medical service or seek a hospital for care.

For those who survive one of the types of strokes, what are the possible consequences?

There are several types of specific sequelae or consequences, depending on the area of ​​the brain affected. Among them are weakness in the face and limbs, changes in speaking or communicating, behavioral changes, changes in memory, difficulty getting around, and changes in vision. These sequelae must be addressed in a long process of rehabilitation.

How does one prevent a stroke? Are nature’s eight remedies also effective in prevention?

To prevent a stroke, a healthy and balanced life must be maintained, and the eight natural remedies can contribute significantly to this purpose. In this sense, it is important to eat healthily, especially including plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well as restricting foods high in fat or sodium; regular physical exercise also contributes to prevention; the exercise of temperance, which includes abstinence from certain types of legal and illegal drugs; and the maintenance of medical follow-up, as well as the treatment indicated for pre-existing diseases such as systemic arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and certain heart diseases.

Furthermore, it is important to emphasize that having confidence in God and experiencing daily and weekly rest also help, since they act directly in the fight and prevention of stress, which is one of the causes of a stroke.

This article was originally published on the South American Division’s Portuguese news site