High blood pressure or hypertension, is a ‘silent killer,’ because it gradually damages your body, and at times it brings serious health complications, one of the most dangerous health issues among them is stroke. Whenever the blood flow to your brain gets restricted, stroke occurs, and eventually it will result in brain cell damage or death.
As we all know, the brain controls several important functions such as speech, movement, and memory, and a stroke can have life-altering consequences. Unfortunately, hypertension remains a major risk factor for stroke. Further, let’s break down the connection between high blood pressure and stroke.
What is high blood pressure?
Hypertension is nothing but a force of blood pushing against your artery walls continuously too high. Over time this will affect your arteries and result in serious health issues like heart attack and stroke. With high blood pressure, you won’t experience any signs so medical professionals often call it a ‘silent killer.’ Even when something goes wrong you can’t able to be aware of that, but always remember that it will silently keep on damaging your body, so whenever you feel like something happening wrong consider visiting the blood pressure treatment in Coimbatore to get the desired results.
Is there any connection between hypertension and stroke?
Just assume that your blood vessels are like highways, which transport oxygen and nutrients throughout your body. When your blood pressure is too high, it exerts a high force on the artery walls, resulting in damage over time. This increases the risk of stroke in numerous ways like:
- Hemorrhagic stroke:
When your blood pressure is constantly high it will strain your blood vessels, making them weaker and more prone to rupture. In case those weakened arteries in the brain burst, it will result in hemorrhagic stroke, which causes serious brain damage and makes brain stroke recovery a difficult thing.
- Ischemic stroke:
High blood pressure will affect the inner lining of your arteries, causing them to become rough and narrow. Eventually, blood clots will be formed easily, and blocks the blood flow to the brain. When these clots obstruct a brain artery, it will result in ischemic stroke, which is one of the common types of strokes in the brain.
- Increases the risk of aneurysm:
An aneurysm is a balloon-like bulge in the weakened artery wall. When overlooking it, the pressure will get increase and cause aneurysm to grow and in the end, it will get burst, resulting in life-threatening bleeding in the brain.
- Reduces blood flow to the brain:
A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is also known as a mini-stroke, whenever blood flow to the brain gets blocked this will occur. Also, you need to be aware that these TIAs will never cause lasting damage, this is just an indication that there are chances for occurrence of full-blown stroke. Notably, high blood pressure will increase the chances of experiencing a TIA.
What are the common signs that indicate that hypertension is leading to a stroke?
As mentioned above hypertension won’t exhibit visible symptoms, so whenever you are individuals around you experiencing these signs, you need to act fast:
- Face drooping: A single side of your face may sag or feel numb.
- Weak arms: You will find it difficult even to lift your arms.
- Speech difficulty: Slurred or incoherent speech.
Other common signs of stroke include sudden confusion, issues with vision, dizziness, or loss of coordination.
How to lower your blood pressure and reduce the risk of stroke?
Fortunately, when you start to manage your blood pressure you can greatly reduce the risk of stroke, you can attain this either by lifestyle changes or by getting high blood pressure treatment. Here’s how:
- Stick to a heart-healthy diet:
- Consider including more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in your diet.
- Limit the intake of salt, processed foods, and saturated fats.
- Incase the intake of foods rich in potassium like bananas, spinach, and sweet potatoes.
- Regular exercise:
Start by moderate exercise for 30 minutes like walking, jogging, or swimming. Physical activity assists in strengthening your heart and enhances the circulation.
- Maintain a healthy weight:
Excess body weight adds more strain on your heart and blood vessels. Simply, losing weight in small amounts can also create a huge change in your blood pressure.
- Avoid alcohol and smoking:
- Smoking will affect the blood vessels and reduce the chances of clot formation.
- Binge alcohol consumption can increase blood pressure and contribute to obesity.
- Manage stress:
Persistent stress will increase our blood pressure. Try to meditate, take deep breathing, or engage in hobbies to stay relaxed.
- Take medications if required:
In case even after making all the possible lifestyle changes your condition is not improving your healthcare provider will suggest you some medications to assist in controlling your blood pressure. When starting the stroke treatment in Coimbatore you should stick to your healthcare provider’s advice carefully.
Final thoughts:
In conclusion, we can say that hypertension is a major but controlled risk factor for stroke. By taking proactive steps to manage hypertension, you can safeguard your brain, heart, and overall health. Simply, don’t just wait for warning signs, start making healthier choices today to build a healthier lifestyle
