6 Warning Signs You Should Never Ignore!

In Canada, there are more than 50,000 strokes a year. About 6% of deaths in Canada are due to stroke – and 20% of cardiovascular-related deaths. On average, one stroke occurs every 10 minutes; 15% of them will result in death, 10% in complete recovery, and the remaining in varying degrees of long-term disability.

To prevent getting a stroke in the future, you should be aware of the changes that occur on your body and the signs/ symptoms that you can have.

However, if you were smart to recognize the symptoms but still you didn’t seek treatment, you are increasing your risks of developing permanent damage! Therefore, your best defense is to catch the symptoms early.

1. A high blood pressure is one of the main factors that can increase your risks of getting a stroke by damaging your brain nerves, weakening your blood vessels, and eventually causing a leak or rupture. High blood pressure is also found to lead to the formation of blood clots in the bloodstream and carry them to the brain, which can cause a stroke.
2. One of the very common symptoms of a stroke are changes in vision. These include double vision, blurred vision, and even loss of vision in one eye.
3. Numbness/ weakness are warning signs that shouldn’t go unnoticed, especially, if it only happens in one side of the body. In fact, the majority of people who had a stroke have experienced a certain numbness and weakness at the level of their face, arms, and legs on either side of the body.
4. Feeling dizzy, nausea and exhaustion, loss of balance are very common issues in patients who had a stroke. So, if you are constantly feeling tired, dizzy, and short of energy without any particular reason, then, you need to see your doctor as soon as possible.
5. Have you ever wondered why you are constantly experiencing splitting and severe headaches that never seem to go away? Well, in this case, you should stop taking painkillers and aspirins and see your doctor as soon as possible.
6. Regularly experiencing shoulder pain or stiffness of the neck is a possible sign of stroke.
   
   So, if you feel unable to touch your chin to your chest, you need to get checked.

Everyone is at risk of developing this serious health issue. However, some people are more likely to have a stroke than others and that’s due to many factors, namely:

– People who have high blood pressure: When your blood pressure is 140/90mmHg or even higher. Then, you are more likely to have a stroke in the future.

– Age and Gender: Older men are more at risk of developing a stroke than young people or women.

– Smoking: Smokers have an increase chance of stroke.

– Diabetes: is an increased risk factor.

– Heart Disease: This can lead to blood clots which often result in the interruption of the blood flow and cause a stroke.

Here are some other risk factors that can increase your risks of getting a stroke:

– Alcohol and Drug abuse.
– Obesity.
– Fast Food / Poor nutrition or Unhealthy diet
– Depression and Anxiety
– Lack of Physical exercise
– Neurological issues

Here are some simple stroke tests:

Smile- Is it crooked or abnormal?

Say “It is a sunny day today”. Is speech slurred or not repeated correctly?

Raise both hands over your head. Did the arms raise equally?

Stick your tongue out. Is the tongue crooked or going to one side?

If ANY of these tests cannot be completed or are abnormal, call 911!

In the case of stroke every second counts.

If you’re alone and no one else with you, you should:

– Immediately call 911.
– Never drive yourself to the hospital.
– Don’t eat or drink something.
– Avoid panicking and try to calm down.

However, in case you are supporting or helping a patient with a stroke, you should:

– Keep the patient on their side and their head elevated.
– Sometimes they might vomit, so, make sure you support the head.
– Help them calm down speaking in a calm manner and make sure they are not anxious.
– Observe the patient carefully and try to notify the emergency operator with the status.

Dr. Stephen Kelly is located at Family First Chiropractic and Wellness

142 Erickson drive, Red Deer. T4R 2C3,  403-347-3261.