Medical expert of the article
New publications
How do you keep yourself from having a stroke?
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
A stroke can lead to the most tragic consequences. And with the modern pace of life, many people fall into the risk group. To protect yourself from a stroke, you need to follow simple rules. This is especially true for those people who have already suffered one stroke - their risk of a second stroke increases tenfold.
Prevention and control of stroke begins with eliminating the factors that most often provoke stroke.
Blood pressure
High blood pressure puts continuous pressure on the walls of the arteries. If this factor is neglected, the constant pressure weakens and destroys the arteries, which can cause a stroke due to the formation of blood clots and rupture of the arteries. High blood pressure is considered to be 140/90 and above.
[ Smoking
Quitting smoking is a very important step that can reduce the risk of stroke. This is especially true for those who did not even think about quitting the bad habit after their first stroke. Five years after quitting cigarettes, the risk level of a former smoker is equal to that of a person who does not smoke at all. Motivate yourself by saying that this will save you years of life.
Nutrition
A healthy diet is no less important in reducing the risk of stroke. You need to exclude all fatty and high-calorie foods from your diet, eat more vegetables and fruits, lean meat, fish and low-fat dairy products. Alcohol is also not good, so try to limit its amount as much as possible.
Physical activity
"Movement is life" is a slogan that is still relevant. If a person moves little, the muscles do not participate in the movement of blood and the blood flow slows down. Physical activity should correspond to the person's capabilities and age. Do not overdo it, excessive activity will not lead to anything good either - in this case, the load on the heart increases.
Negative emotions and stress
Sadness, stress, rage and anger are stroke triggers that increase blood pressure and heart rate, which increases the load on the heart. Also, vascular spasms increase and blood clotting increases, blood circulation is disrupted and blood clots form - this is a direct path to stroke.