Common Questions About Stroke Prevention

1. What Caused My Stroke?

Several risk factors, including medical conditions, lifestyle, age, and family history, can lead to stroke. Understanding the risk factors can help you trace your stroke to one or more possible causes. Moreover, understanding the root cause can help you create a preventative plan to reduce recurrence risks.

Medical conditions that can lead to stroke include high blood pressure, uncontrolled diabetes, high cholesterol, obstructive sleep apnea, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases. One or more of these medical conditions could have caused your stroke.

Stroke is also linked to lifestyle factors. You are at risk of suffering a stroke if you do not exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet. Other lifestyle risk factors include smoking and heavy alcohol consumption. You can reduce lifestyle risk factors by exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet, quitting smoking, and reducing alcohol consumption.

Age is another factor that increases your risk of suffering a stroke. People above the age of 55 years are at a higher risk of stroke than their younger counterparts. You are encouraged to schedule regular stroke screening if you are 55 or older.

Your stroke could also be linked to family history. Studies show that people with a family history of stroke are at a higher risk. Schedule regular stroke screening if your family has a history of stroke.

2. How Can I Manage My High Blood Pressure?

Stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is blocked or reduced. High blood pressure is responsible for reduced or blocked supply. The high pressure causes small tears in the blood vessels, which develop into scars when they heal. Plaque builds up on the scarred areas, blocking or reducing blood supply to the brain.

Managing your blood pressure can reduce the risk of stroke. You can control your blood pressure through medication or lifestyle changes. Lifestyle changes that can help you manage blood pressure include regular physical exercises, eating a healthy diet, reducing alcohol consumption, quitting smoking, and maintaining a healthy weight.

3. What Are the Best Ways to Control My Cholesterol?

High cholesterol leads to fatty deposits in the blood vessels. These fat deposits reduce or block blood supply to the brain, leading to stroke. You can reduce the risk of suffering a stroke by controlling cholesterol levels. Follow these tips to reduce your cholesterol:

• Eat heart-healthy foods such as Lean meat, white meat, low-fat or fat-free dairy products, and eggs.
• Reduce saturated fats, such as those found in red meat.
• Reduce trans fats or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, often found in margarine.
• Take a high-fiber diet, especially soluble fiber.
• Exercise regularly
• Quit smoking and reduce alcohol
• Contact your doctor for medical cholesterol management

4. How Do I Manage My Blood Sugar Levels?

High blood sugar can damage blood vessels, increasing the risk of stroke. Uncontrolled diabetes can also lead to fatty deposits in the blood vessels, reducing or blocking blood supply to the brain. Managing your blood sugar can, therefore, reduce stroke risks. Follow the following tips to manage your blood sugar:

• Eat a healthy diet
• Exercise regularly
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Monitor your blood sugar levels
• Take medication as prescribed by your doctor

5. Why Is Physical Activity Important in Stroke Prevention?

Physical exercises play a significant role in stroke management and prevention. Regular physical activities prevent stroke by controlling most risk factors. For instance, physical activities mitigate the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, and other factors linked to stroke. Engage in low-impact exercises like brisk walking, swimming, or cycling for at least 30 minutes five times weekly to prevent stroke risk factors.

6. What Should I Eat to Lower My Stroke Risk?

Like physical exercises, a healthy diet mitigates stroke risks. Eating an unhealthy diet can increase risk factors such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity. Eat the following foods to reduce stroke risks:

• Leafy green vegetables such as spinach, kale, and collard
• Walnuts
• Fatty and lean fish
• Citrus fruits like lemons and oranges
• Yogurt

7. Can Losing Weight Help Prevent Another Stroke?

Unhealthy weight is a stroke risk factor. Cutting your weight could reduce the risk of another stroke if your stroke was caused by being overweight. Use the following tips to reduce your weight:

• Eat a healthy diet that includes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and high-fiber foods
• Engage in regular physical exercises
• Control your portion servings
• Get enough sleep
• Take enough water

8. How Can Quitting Smoking Reduce My Stroke Risk?

Smoking increases stroke risk in several ways. It accelerates clot formation, thickens your blood, and contributes to plaque buildup, blocking or reducing blood supply to the brain. Quitting smoking is one of the most beneficial lifestyle changes when you want to reduce stroke risk. You can quit smoking by avoiding triggers, keeping yourself busy, quitting alcohol, and getting support from family and friends.

9. Why Should I Take My Medications as Prescribed?

Your stroke doctor may combine lifestyle changes, diet, and medication to manage and prevent stroke. Follow the medical prescription to reduce the risk of stroke recurrence.

10. How Can I Be More Involved in My Treatment Plan?

Stroke treatment in Singapore combines lifestyle changes and medication, meaning the patient and the doctor play significant roles in its management. You can be more involved in the treatment plan by adopting healthy lifestyle changes and adhering to medication prescriptions. Involvement in the treatment plan also includes communicating with your doctor about challenges encountered in your journey to managing and preventing stroke.

11. What Are Stroke Prevention Programs and How Can They Help?

Stroke prevention programs provide resources that help patients control risk factors and prevent recurrence. Joining the program can help you stick to the treatment plan as it offers reminders and tips on engaging in physical exercises, eating a healthy diet, and adhering to prescription medicine.

When to See a Stroke or Neurovascular Specialist

Stroke prevention is most effective when risk factors are identified early and managed proactively. Specialist assessment may help clarify your individual risk and determine whether additional investigations or treatment are appropriate.

Consider seeing a specialist if you:

• Have experienced a transient ischaemic attack (TIA or "mini-stroke") or previous stroke
• Have carotid artery disease or another diagnosed vascular condition
• Have uncontrolled high blood pressure despite treatment
• Have atrial fibrillation or another condition that increases stroke risk
• Have a strong family history of stroke or brain aneurysm
• Experience symptoms such as temporary weakness, numbness, speech difficulties or vision changes
• Have been advised that you may benefit from vascular screening
• Would like a second opinion regarding stroke prevention or minimally invasive treatment options

A specialist consultation may include reviewing your medical history, medications, vascular imaging and overall cardiovascular risk. Where appropriate, additional investigations or minimally invasive treatments may be discussed to help reduce future stroke risk.

Seek emergency medical attention immediately if you develop sudden facial drooping, arm weakness, difficulty speaking, sudden vision loss, severe dizziness, loss of balance or a sudden severe headache. These may be signs of a stroke and require immediate treatment.

Are You Looking for a Specialised Stroke Clinic in Singapore? Contact Supreme Vascular and Interventional Clinic

While stroke is among the leading causes of adult disability and death in Singapore, you can prevent it. You and your doctor play significant roles in preventing the recurrence of the condition. As the patient, your role is to adopt lifestyle changes that reduce the risk of stroke and follow medicine prescriptions. Contact Supreme Vascular and Interventional Clinic to learn more and schedule an appointment.

Stroke Resources

Stroke in Younger Adults

Areas of the Brain Affected by Stroke

We've Got You Covered for Specialized Stroke Screening, Prevention, and Management

Imagine heart attacks where the blood flow to your heart is blocked. Similarly, a stroke occurs when the blood flow to your brain is interrupted becoming a "brain attack". When blood supply does not reach a certain part, brain cells begin to die. Different types of stroke include ischemic strokes (blockage of blood vessel due to blood clot) or a mini stroke, a TIA (transient ischemic attack), with no permanent damage yet serious. Stroke also occurs when a blood vessel in the brain pops causing bleeding in the brain.

When a stroke occurs, the symptoms of stroke depend on how blood flow to the brain is affected. Individuals at high risk and even higher risk (family history) often have high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, or another risk factor for stroke, all of which increase the risk of stroke.  Disrupted blood flow can  even damage the blood vessel in the brain and affect one side of the body. Having a stroke doesn’t mean it has to lead to permanent disabilities. Recognizing early warning signs is essential to reduce the risk, and in some cases, procedures such as carotid endarterectomy may help increase the blood vessel in the brain and restore healthy circulation.

Certain areas of the brain can be affected by stroke and some symptoms of a stroke including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and high blood sugar levels increase the risk of stroke whereas an active lifestyle or controlling high cholesterol reduces the risk. How well do you know stroke? Find tips to prevent and manage stroke, the differences in stroke screening tests, and the newer technology and treatments available. Come in for an easy consultation and further evaluation with our stroke specialist in Singapore at the Supreme Vascular and Interventional Clinic. 

Supreme Vascular and Interventional Stroke Programs

Neurointerventional / Stroke Treatments

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The Supreme Vascular and Interventional Clinic is your "go-to" facility for various neurointerventional / stroke conditions and treatments. To arrange an appointment with Dr. Manish Taneja, our stroke specialist, contact us. You can also call us at (+65) 6904 8084 for a consultation.