What is a stroke?

A stroke is when the blood supply of an area of the brain is cut off. This usually occurs when a blockage or a burst blood vessel causes vital brain tissue to die. It is the equivalent of blocked arteries causing a heart attack. When a stroke occurs the most important thing to do is to get medical treatment for that person as rapidly as possible.

Some symptons of a stroke

• Sudden symptons such as weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg on one side of the body
• Sudden problems with vision of one or both eyes
• Problems with speech, either with talking or having problems undertstanding others
• Severe and sudden headaches
• Unexplained dizziness, unstable walking or falling, especially along with any of the other symptoms

Diet is a major factor of strokes

A diet that contains too much salt and saturated fats will increase the risk of stroke. If you want to reduce the risk of a stroke then it would be sensible to to change your diet so that it contains more fruit, vegetables, fibre and unsaturated fats.