Stroke Awareness Month and Multiple Sclerosis

Each year, more than 130,000 Americans die from stroke: that’s 1 in every 20 deaths! In honor of National Stroke Awareness Month, today’s post includes several pieces of advice to reduce your risk (or that of a loved one).

By making these healthy habit changes you can reduce your risk for a stroke:

• Eat more foods from plants, such as vegetables and beans, whole grains, and nuts.
• Eat more seafood in place of red meat, poultry, and eggs.
• Limit the intake of sodium, solid fats, added sugars, and refined grains.
• Reduce calories you eat and drink and increase calorie you burn through physical activity.
• Maintain a healthy weight.Excess weight puts a strain on the entire circulatory system. It can also make people more likely to have high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes, all of which can increase stroke risk.
• Get Physical! People who exercise for thirty minutes five or more times per week have a reduced stroke risk.
• Quit Smoking. Smoking doubles the risk of stroke when compared to a nonsmoker.
• Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all. Drinking too much alcohol can increase blood pressure and the risk of stroke.

Recognizing the signs of a stroke are key. The quicker a stroke-sufferer is treated by a doctor, the lower the risk of developing a long-term disability. Knowing the acronym “FAST” may save a life. The National Stoke Association created an easy resource that includes a visual reference of the FAST acronym, feel free to download this PDF and print it out to keep it handy.

Visit the National Stroke Association and the American Stroke Association for more information on both strokes in general, and on National Stroke Awareness Month.