Cooperative Living July 2023 - 22

HEALTHY TAKE
Living Your Best Life
What women need to know about stroke risks
Story courtesy of Family Features
immediately following a pregnancy.
Managing conditions like high blood
pressure before getting pregnant helps
keep you and your baby healthy during
pregnancy and beyond. In addition, your
health during and immediately after
pregnancy can shape the lifelong health
of you and your child. If you're planning
to become pregnant or are currently
pregnant, it's important to regularly
monitor your blood pressure.
LEARN THE
WARNING SIGNS
A stroke can happen to anyone at
I
t may not be widely known that
women face unique risk factors for
stroke throughout their lifetime.
Things like pregnancy, preeclampsia
and chronic stress can increase the risk
for high blood pressure, a leading cause
of stroke.
Cardiovascular disease, including
stroke, is the leading cause of death
among women, according to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention,
and 1 in 5 women will have a stroke.
HoweHo ver, a large majority ofstrokes
ccan be
yyour rou
risk fo
Amer
ofth
an be prevented.
CCaaring for yourselfby understanding
isk factors can help reduce your
isk for stroke and provide a better
oke risk with these tips from the
qqualitu ity oflife. Start managing your
stroke
merican Stroke Association, a division
ofthe AmericanHeart Association:
MONITOR YOUR
BLOOD PRESSURE
The first step you can take in
ducing your risk for stroke is knowing
your blood pressure and keeping it in
reduc
you
a healhea thy range. High blood pressure is
tthe Nh
20 ● CooperativeC
o. 1 preventable cause ofstroke,
Living ●
July 2023
PLAN FOR
PREGNANCY
In the United States, high blood
pregnancy is becoming
according to the CDC,
itions ncluding
and blood clots during pregnancy all
stational
uring
ur
ll
increase stroke risk during and
isk
and
pressure during pregnancy is becoming
more common, according to the CDC,
and medical conditions including
preeclampsia, gestational diabiabetesetes
preg anc
according to the American Heart
Association.
The best way to know your blood
pressure is to have it measured at
least once per year by a healthcare
professional and regularly monitor
it at home, and then discuss the
numbers with a doctor. For most
people, normal blood pressure should
be 120/80 mmHg or less.
In addition to properly monitoring
blood pressure, maintaining a healthy
weight, being physically active, eating
healthfully and reducing or eliminatining
alcohol and tobacco use can help
control blood pressure. Ifyou do
develop high blood pressure, work
with a healthcare professional on a
eati
elimin
acco use can help
essure. Ifyou do
ood pressure, work
profession
plan to help manage it.na
on
any point in life. Immediate treatment
may help minimize the long-term
effects of a stroke and even prevent
death. Learn how to spot a stroke
F.A.S.T.:
* Face drooping - Does one side
of the face droop or is it numb?
Ask the person to smile. Is the
person's smile uneven?
* Arm weakness - Is one arm weak
or numb? Ask the person to raise
both arms. Does one arm drift
downward?
* Speech difficulty - Is speech
slurred? Is the person unable to
speak or hard to understand?
Ask the person to repeat a simple
sentence like " The sky is blue. "
* Time to call 911 - If someone
shows any of these symptoms,
even if the symptoms go away,
call 911 and get to a hospital
immediately. Check the time so
you'll know when the first
symptoms appeared.
Talk to your doctor about ways to
improve your well-being to help prevent
a stroke. 
For more wellness tips, visit stroke.org.
co-opliving.com
PHOTOS COURTESY GETTY IMAGES
http://www.it.na http://www.stroke.org http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living July 2023

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