While you might not think about it often, there are many things that can cause or contribute to the potential of a stroke. Strokes do for the most part come on unexpectedly, but that does not mean their causes are invisible.
For anyone who might not be aware, a stroke is something that occurs when the blood supply to part of your brain is interrupted or becomes reduced. This basically deprives your brain tissue of oxygen and things it needs. Within mere minutes, your brain cells will begin to die, and you will suffer because of it. In the end, you might end up losing feeling in parts of your body and so much more. Some people even lose their lives when they have a stroke, it is no laughing matter.
Below, I am going to go over some of the things that can cause strokes. While you might not realize it, but these things can become very serious issues if you ignore them. These are some of the most common driving forces behind strokes in general and if possible you need to be as aware of that as you can be.
10 Things That Can Cause A Stroke:
1. Heart Conditions
If you have any kind of heart conditions like heart disease in itself, you are at an increased risk of having a stroke. This is because you are not as likely to react to the symptoms properly. Whether you have Arrhythmia, heart valve disease, or something else, you should be aware of this kind of thing.
2. High Alcoh0l Intake
Alcoh0l use on the heavy scale has been strongly associated with an increased risk of stroke. While low to moderate levels should be fine, high or heavy levels will bring forth serious consequences. You need to be careful about this kind of thing.
3. Smoking/Tobacco Use
The more you smoke, the more likely you are to have a stroke. If you smoke 20 cigarettes a day (I know, unlikely but possible) you become literally six times more likely to have a stroke. This meaning that if you smoke half of that, you’re still at a three times more likely increase than most other people. That is terrifying, isn’t it?
4. Old Age
Sadly, some of the things on this list cannot be avoided. As we age, our risks of stroke increase. Once you hit 55 you will notice those closest to you grow more and more concerned in general. While you can do things to keep yourself healthy, that risk on some level will always be present.
5. High Blood Pressure
If you are not working to keep your blood pressure under control properly, you might end up having a stroke. High blood pressure can also cause clots to form in the arteries that lead to your brain. HBP is not something to ignore, it can do a lot of damage.
6. Inactive Lifestyle
Yes, being inactive can increase your risks for not only stroke but also coronary heart disease. You have to be physically active if you want to be able to control your blood cholesterol properly and other things like your weight. Being active will work wonders on a wide range of health-related things.
7. High Cholesterol
Having high cholesterol levels can contribute to a number of things. It raises a person’s risks of stroke because it carries cholesterol away from the arteries and back into the liver, where it leaves the body. You have to be very careful with things like this.
8. Obesity
The excess of fat within your body will create inflammation. This ends up leading to poor blood flow and blockages. Both of those things will contribute to the potential for a stroke happening. Being a healthy weight is important, no you don’t have to be super skinny, but getting fit is worth it for the health benefits that it offers. Click here to learn more about this.
9. Diabetes
Most people already know that diabetes and strokes go hand in hand. This is because diabetes can cause narrowing of the blood vessel wall and sometimes block the flow of blood to a person’s brain completely. When this happens, a stroke will occur. Diabetes is something that needs to be monitored closely.
10. Blood Clotting Conditions
There are quite a few blood clotting conditions that can make a person more prone to forming unhealthy blood clots. This will in some cases cause that person to have a stroke. If you have sickle cell disease, you are one of these people.