Stroke: How To Detect And Prevent UK's Third Largest Cause Of Death | HuffPost Life

How Do You Detect A Stroke And Prevent It?

Natasha Hinde— The Huffington Post UK

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On average, someone in the UK has a stroke every three and a half minutes, according to Professor Caroline Watkins from the University of Central Lancashire.

A stroke typically occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off.

It is a serious, life-threatening medical condition which can result in death.

Who is at risk?

Roughly 110,000 people have a stroke in England each year. In fact, it is the third largest cause of death, after heart disease and cancer.

According to the NHS, older people are most at risk of having a stroke. However they can occur at any age - including in children.

Symptoms

According to NHS Choices, one of the main symptoms of stroke is when the muscles on one side of the face droop, which results in the person not being able to smile. In some cases, the mouth or eye area might have dropped too.

People experiencing a stroke may not be able to lift both of their arms and keep them there - usually because of arm weakness or numbness.

Additionally their speech may become slurred or "garbled". In some cases, the person may not be able to talk at all despite appearing to be awake.

If you experience any of these symptoms, it is important to act fast and call 999 immediately. Speed is key with treating stroke, and the quicker a person is able to be treated, the less chance there is of permanent damage.

Know The Warning Signs Of A Stroke

Severe Headaches(01 of09)

Sudden severe headaches could be a sign of a stroke, according to the National Stroke Association. (credit:Alamy)

Difficulty Walking(02 of09)

Having "trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination" are all signs of a stroke, according to the National Stroke Association. (credit:Shutterstock)

Trouble Seeing(03 of09)

Is the person having difficulty seeing in one or both eyes? This is one of the symptoms of a stroke, according to the National Stroke Association. (credit:Shutterstock)

Confusion(04 of09)

"Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding," are all signs of a stroke, according to the National Stroke Association. (credit:Shutterstock)

Numbness(05 of09)

One-sided numbness of the face, arms or could be a sign of a stroke, according to the National Stroke Association. (credit:Shutterstock)

Remember FAST(06 of09)

The National Stroke Association also recommends you get familiar with the acronym FAST.F is for face. When you ask the person to smile, does their face droop? This is one of the a warning signs of a stroke, according to the National Stroke Association. (credit:Alamy)

Remember FAST(07 of09)

A is for arms. When you ask the person to raise up both arms, does one droop? This is a warning sign of a stroke, according to the National Stroke Association. (credit:Alamy)

Remember FAST(08 of09)

S is for speech. "Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase," advises the National Stroke Association. "Is their speech slurred or strange?" (credit:Alamy)

Remember FAST(09 of09)

T is for time. Time is of the essence if you observe any of these warning signs, according to the National Stroke Association. Call 911 immediately. (credit:Alamy)

SEE ALSO:
Woman Left Partially Paralysed After Contraceptive Pill Triggered Stroke
Heart Age Calculator: Find Out Your Risk Of Heart Attack Or Stroke Using This Simple NHS Tool
Woman Films Minor Stroke 'Selfie' After Doctors Claim She Was Just Stressed
The Time A Heart Attack Or Stroke Is Likely To Strike: 6.30AM

How to prevent stroke

Like many other health complaints, simple changes in lifestyle - including eating healthily and exercising more - can reduce your risk of stroke.

Alice Mackintosh, nutritionist at The Food Doctor said: "Though genetic predisposition plays a part in the development of cardiovascular issues, it has been hypothesized that most cases of stroke can be prevented by living a healthy lifestyle, thereby reducing risks of further compromising heart health.

"Factors that can make one more susceptible to strokes include: smoking, stress, low physical activity, a high saturated fat diet, high cholesterol levels, uncontrolled diabetes and high blood pressure."

Nutritionist Karen Poole says that it's important to add liver-supporting foods into your diet to help regulate cholesterol. These include onions, garlic, cabbage, fennel, broccoli, watercress, celery, radish, rocket, chicory, garlic, artichoke and spinach.

Additionally, cutting down on pastries and fatty meats, consuming plenty of Omega-3 (found in fish such as salmon and mackerel) and stocking up on B12, folic acid and B2, can help lower your risk.

Foods That Lower Stroke Risk

Chocolate(01 of07)

A Swedish study in the journal Neurology showed that eating chocolate is linked with a lower risk of stroke in men. The study, which included 37,103 men, showed that men who ate the most chocolate in the 10-year study had a 17 percent lower risk of stroke, compared with those who didn't report eating any chocolate during that time period. (credit:Alamy)

Whole Grains(02 of07)

Eating lots of whole grains could help to lower risk of ischemic stroke for women, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The findings showed that women who ate the most whole grains in the study (like the amount you'd get by eating two or three whole grain bread slices every day) had a 30 to 40 percent lower stroke risk, compared with women who ate the fewest whole grains in the study (like the amount you'd get by eating just a half-slice of whole grain bread every day), according to ABC News. (credit:Alamy)

Citrus Fruits(03 of07)

An antioxidant found in citrus fruits could help to lower risk of stroke in women, according to a study of 70,000 women earlier this year in the journal Stroke. Researchers from Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital found that women who consumed the most flavonoids over a 14-year period had a 19 percent lower risk of stroke than the women who consumed the fewest flavonoids during that time period. (credit:Alamy)

Antioxidants(04 of07)

While antioxidants aren't exactly a food on their own, fruits, vegetables and whole grains that are rich in them are linked with a lower stroke risk for women. Research published in the journal Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association showed that women with no heart disease history who consumed the most antioxidants from food had a 17 percent lower risk of stroke, and women with a heart disease history who consumed the most antioxidants from food had a 57 percent decreased risk of hemorrhagic stroke. The researchers, from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, speculated that the protection comes from antioxidants' ability to stop inflammation and oxidative stress in the body by neutralizing harmful free radicals. Antioxidants can also help to reduce blood clots and lower blood pressure and decrease inflammation, according to the American Heart Association. (credit:Alamy)

Low-Fat Dairy (05 of07)

Consuming low-fat dairy could help to lower the risk of stroke, according to a Stroke study. The research showed that the adults who consumed the most low-fat dairy over a 10-year period had a 12 percent lower risk of stroke compared with those who consumed the least low-fat dairy over the time period. "It is possible that vitamin D in low-fat dairy foods may explain, in part, the observed lowered risk of stroke in this study because of its potential effect on blood pressure," study researcher Susanna Larsson, Ph.D., associate professor of nutritional epidemiology at the Karolinska Institutet, said in a statement. (credit:Alamy)

Magnesium-Rich Foods (06 of07)

Foods loaded with magnesium -- like beans, nuts leafy greens and whole grains -- are linked with a lower risk of ischemic stroke, WebMD Reported. The findings, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, showed specifically that for each 100 milligrams of magnesium consumed each day, ischemic stroke risk went down by 9 percent. (credit:Alamy)

Fish(07 of07)

Making sure to eat some fish every week could help to lower risk of stroke, according to a review of studies published in the journal Stroke. Reuters reported on the study, which showed that eating fish several times a week was linked with a lower risk of stroke, compared with non-fish eaters. "I think overall, fish does provide a beneficial package of nutrients, in particular the omega-3s, that could explain this lower risk," Dariush Mozaffarian, an epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health, whose research was part of the Stroke analysis, told Reuters. (credit:Alamy)

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