The strokes have become a huge silent health problem in Spain. And there are ways to limit risks

Every year 90,000 cases of strokes are produced in Spain that leave 23,000 deaths on average, According to the data of the Spanish Society of Neurology. This number could be significantly reduced, after all, many of the Risk factors which are associated with this type of event correspond to behaviors and habits that we can modify.

Before reviewing what the risk factors are controllable or not, associated with the stroke, maybe it is appropriate to consider us What exactly is an stroke. The stroke or stroke (stroke) occurs when the blood flow that reaches a part of the brain is interrupted or drastically reduced.

There are two types of accidents: ischemic and hemorrhagic. The former are the most common, are produced by the blockade of one of some circulatory route, for example by a clot or its narrowing as a result of fatty deposits. Hemorrhagic strokes for their part are produced by the breakage of a blood vessel.

There is no exact list of risk factors that are related to these episodes since there are numerous overwhelms and interconnections Among these factors. Nor can we make an accurate distinction between the factors that we can control and those that do not.

A clear example is that of diabetes. This disease is a risk factor in the appearance of ICUTS. Suffering or not this disease is not under our control, but we can avoid factors that in turn are linked to it.

Despite the difficulties when delimiting these concepts, experts estimate that controllable risk factors are associated with 60% and 90% of the risk of suffering a stroke. That is, avoiding these factors we can reduce very significantly the risk that this type of event will be triggered in our brain.

And what are the risk factors on which we have the greatest control? According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute From the United States, controllable risk factors include blood pressure, obesity, physical inactivity, poor diet and tobacco.

According to the American medical institution Johns Hopkins Medicinea blood pressure of 140/90 or higher is a factor that can condition our probability of suffering such an accident. Obesity, food and physical inactivity They are clearly interconnected risk factors.

Smoking is one of the Risk factors More widely mentioned, but alcohol and some recreational drugs such as intravenous or cocaine are also related to an increase in the risk of suffering from an stroke. Some legal substances such as the contraceptive pill have also been related to an increased risk of stroke.

With anxiety, depression and stress, something similar occurs than with other diseases: we have a certain degree of control, but this can be very limited depending on the circumstances of each person. Something similar happens with the environment in which we live: although residing or working in contaminated areas can aggravate our risk of suffering from an stroke, changing work or residence is often not in our hand.

What we cannot change

Some of the risk factors that we associate with the stroke totally escape from our control. Maybe age is the most important: Age. As we become greater the possibilities of suffering a stroke are increasing.

Sex is another factor linked to the appearance of this disease and in a unique way: it is fine at an early age men suffer from these accidents more frequently, the greatest life expectancy of women means that throughout life these suffer more such problems.

Different ethnic backgrounds can lead to different levels of risk: in the United States African -American, native and Hispanic people have a higher risk of suffering a stroke. Finally, Genetics And family history can also be considered risk factors, especially in cases where a family member has experienced one of these events at earlier ages.

In addition to the risk factors, it is worth remembering what are the main symptoms that accompany these events in order to better identify an stroke and improve the chances that whoever suffers it receives medical assistance on time.

There are a few key factors that can help us Identify an stroke quicklybut there is also a challenge of symptoms that can also be associated with strokes. Among the Key symptoms There are the loss of strength or sensitivity in the face, arm or leg, which usually swams to a single side of the body; Confusion in speech, for example in the use of unconnected words; sudden loss of vision; dizziness, loss of balance or the appearance of a severe headache without a clear origin.

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Image | Anna Shvets