By Exercise Tips 
Although recovery from a stroke can take months — or longer, depending upon the severity of the stroke and the portion of the brain affected — but knowing the symptoms of a stroke could allow patients to get treated more quickly. In general, a stroke is defined as an event where blood flow to the brain is impeded and brain cells die. An “ischemic” stroke is due to impeded blood flow, but a “hemmorhagic” stroke refers to an event where internal bleeding in the brain occurs.
While a stroke patient will naturally seek out diagnostic and therapeutic services, there are some warning signs that could help minimize the occurrence of a stroke if properly treated. Generally, high blood pressure and cholesterol levels can indicate that a patient needs to be on alert for both a heart attack and a stroke. Smoking and overeating are also cause for concern about patients’ long-term health and safety.
What does a stroke look like in a patient? In general, sudden loss of vision or balance or a sudden headache could be early warning signs of a stroke. Difficulty forming sentences and walking, along with numbness in the face or along one side of the body can also be powerful indicators that a stroke has either begun or is about to begin. When patients reach out for medical help at the first sign of a stroke, they may be able to access medical care in a more timely fashion.
Recovery, for stroke patients, may involve physical therapy and dietary changes. Surprisingly, one of the newest methods of treatment for strokes involves the use of video games to improve patients’ cognition and activity levels. Some stroke patients also undergo extensive speech therapy, designed to allow them to regain full communicative function.
There are currently more than 40 million American women diagnosed with heart disease; cardiology care facilities know that while their patients continue to smoke, refrain from exercise, and eat a diet that is high in cholesterol, they will remain at higher risk for both heart attack and stroke events. Approximately seven out of every 10 adults also reports that they do not exercise regularly; a sedentary lifestyle can be fatal, reports show.
Finding quality healthcare well in advance of a stroke or other serious health event can be essential. What Americans may not realize is that a small amount of physical activity can go a long way toward boosting their overall health. Stretching while lying in bed can be both comfortable and stimulating for upper and lower body, and walking just a few miles a week can help lower the risk of both heart attacks and strokes.
What a stroke patient may also need to do in the aftermath of a stroke is to adjust their diet. Small adjustments may be most effective: chicken or fish, for example, could still be eaten, but should be paired with a fresh vegetable and a whole grain. People who use oil to flavor their cooking could lower their fat content and enhance their meals’ flavor profiles with fresh lemon juice, added at the end of the cooking process.
While younger people may not feel that they have much potential for heart attack or stroke, studies show that stroke patient cases under the age of 40 are on the rise. Where a dislodged blood clot is often the cause of stroke events in older patients, younger patients who smoke or who have a history of migraines remain at risk for stroke. More often, heart issues cause stroke in younger adults, but stress and drug abuse can also be contributing factors.
Finding ways to prevent strokes could be as easy as cutting down on smoking, going for a walk or run three or more times a week, and doing progressively complex stretching and movement exercises at home. Strokes are often preventable, but people in their 20s need to realize that their diet, exercise, and smoking habits can damage their health after several decades — or much sooner.
