Stroke Research
A stroke occurs when parts of the brain are damaged and blood flow is significantly shut off from the brain. The extent of the injury depends upon how severe is the damage to the brain and which part of the brain is damaged. Different parts of the brain control different body parts. Usually only one side of the body is damaged - the side opposite to the damaged part of the brain, because the nerves cross over to the other side. Doctors must determine the cause of the stroke from a physical examination or from the series of events that took place. The doctors are concerned about the exact cause of the stroke and must determine whether it was from a blood clot or whether it was from a blood vessel that was blocked. If the stroke were caused by a blood clot, another stroke could occur if the problem is not corrected. If the doctor determines the exact cause of the stroke, many options are available for stopping any immediate strokes. Many people after therapy and care can recover completely, while others are physically and mentally unable to speak, move or function normally. Physical therapy and care will enable most stroke victims to reacquire some of their facilities if the stroke was only on one side and not too severe.
When the patients leave the hospital, much progress can be made to rehabilitate the patients by physical therapy and a healthy lifestyle of nutrition, weight control and exercise. Many of the patients will be unable to participate in some aspects of the physical training and should be directed by their doctor as to the extent of the physical part of the training. The nutrition could be handled by many of the patients. This treatment should be done by everyone who wants to prevent a stroke or heart attack.
The underlying cause of heart trouble and strokes are smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol level, high triglycerides, a sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, and lack of weight control. This can be corrected by a healthy lifestyle of exercise, proper nutrition and weight control. Proper nutrition means to eat no refined glucose or carbohydrates, eat fruits, vegetables, cold water fish, sprouted grain bread, whole grains, lean protein and fiber. Special foods are celery or celery juice for cleaning the arteries, and two tablespoons daily of ground flax seed mixed in water, soy milk or fruit juice. Food supplements to take are multivitamins, fish oil, coQ10 and turmeric.
The exercise program should be thirty minutes, three to six times per week. The thirty minute periods could be split into five minute increments if necessary. Exercise will lower blood pressure and help control weight. Reducing calories to 2000 per day for men and 1800 for women will add years to your life and prevent many dangerous diseases and conditions. Consult your health provider before proceeding with this program.
