You can prevent stroke

Mar 28, 2008

STROKE causes many deaths all over the world and leaves many disabled. According to Dr. Edward Ddumba, the chairman Stroke Prevention Society of Uganda, about 10% of all deaths of persons above the age of 40 are a result of stroke.

By Ben Okiror

STROKE causes many deaths all over the world and leaves many disabled. According to Dr. Edward Ddumba, the chairman Stroke Prevention Society of Uganda, about 10% of all deaths of persons above the age of 40 are a result of stroke.

“More people are dying from stroke as incidences of hypertension, obesity, alcohol abuse and stress increase,” Ddumba says.

A stroke happens when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted; when the blood flow to the brain is blocked and when blood vessels in the brain burst, resulting in the damage of the brain tissue. Interruption of blood supply to the brain cuts off oxygen, glucose and other nutrients essential for normal brain activity. The brain cannot work properly and the cells die within minutes. The devastating effects of a severe stroke are often permanent because dead brain cells cannot be replaced.

What blocks vessels?

Ddumba says fatty deposits build up on the inner walls of blood vessels. “The vessels become narrow, hardened and less flexible; such vessels are easily blocked by blood clots,” he says.
This, he says, can cause blood vessels within the brain bursting and bleeding from blood pressure.

Blood clots formed in the heart or one of the arteries in the neck can travel through the bloodstream to the brain. Blood-clot strokes may result from problems in the heart or blood vessels clogged with a buildup of fats and cholesterol.


Steps to reduce risk of stroke
  • Exercise for at least 30 minutes per day.
  • Eat a healthy diet with the right amount of food.
  • Limit sugar and salt intake.
  • Stop smoking.
  • Regulate alcohol intake to a unit or two in a day.
  • Keep optimum body weight.
  • If you are diabetic, keep blood sugar within the normal limits.
  • Endeavour to have a medical check up at least once a year. Hypertension may be found on routine examination.
  • If you have been diagnosed as hypertensive, take your drugs regularly as prescribed.
  • Non diabetic people should have their blood sugar and blood lipids (fats) checked at least once a year.
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