What causes a stroke?

Stroke is the primary neurological problem in the United States and in the world. Stroke is the third ranking cause of death, with the overall mortality rate of 18% to 37% for the first stroke and as high as 62% for subsequent strokes. The stroke usually results from one of four events:

*Cerebral thrombosis (a blood clot within a blood vessel of the brain or neck),
*Cerebral embolism (a blood clot or other material carried to the brain from another part of the body),
*Cerebral ischemia (decrease of blood flow to an area of the brain), and
*Cerebral hemorrhage (rupture of a cerebral blood vessel with bleeding into the brain tissue or spaces surrounding the brain).

Cerebral thrombosis
Cerebral arteriosclerosis and slowing of the cerebral circulation are the major cause of cerebral thrombosis, which is the most common cause of stroke. Cerebral thrombosis does not develop abruptly, a transient loss of speech, hemiplegia, or paresthesias in one half of the body may precede the onset of severe paralysis by a few hours or days.

Cerebral embolism
Infective endocarditis, rheumatic heart disease, myocardial infarction and pulmonary infections are the sites where emboli originate. The emboli usually lodges in the middle cerebral artery or its branches, where it disrupts the cerebral circulation.

Cerebral ischemia
Cerebral ischemia is mainly due to artheromatous constriction of the arteries supplying the brain. The most common manifestation is a transient ischemic attack.

Cerebral hemorrhage
Hemorrhage may occur in the extradural space, subdural space, sub arachnoid space or intracerebrally causing hematomas. The bleeding is usually arterial and occurs particularly around basal ganglia. The onset is abrupt, with severe headache. When the hematoma enlarges, neurological deficit occurs in the form of decreased alertness and abnormalities in the vital signs. In pronounced cases, unconsciousness or coma results.

The other risk factors are:

*Hypertension - the major risk factor. Controlling hypertension is the key to prevent stroke.
*Cardiovascular diseases - most cerebral embolism originates in the heart.
*High cholesterol.
*Obesity.
*Elevated hematocrit - increases the risk of cerebral infarction.
*Diabetes.
*Oral contraceptives.
*Smoking.
*Drug abuse (cocaine).
*Alcohol consumption.

Stroke is life changing. Being aware of the symptoms and doing all that you can to avoid those which threaten the life with stroke can make a difference. If in doubt, do contact your doctor and certainly if there is a history of stroke in the family, it would be a good idea to be vigilant and to have regular check-ups to protect yourself from the possibility of stroke, and to follow the professional advice given by your doctor.

What are good and bad carbohydrates?

Good carbs and bad carbs may sound Greek and Latin to many. These terms are used recently to classify carbohydrates in terms of health benefits. Carbohydrates are not always good and not always bad. Some promote health and some causes problems which we generally say as good carbs and bad carbs respectively. Carbohydrates are called the fuel of our body because they give energy to run the engine of life. It's our responsibility to identify good carbs from bad carbs and take them appropriately.

Our body should get energy from the carbohydrate content of our diet and not from the protein or fat content. Good carbs are found in legumes, whole grains, oatmeal, spaghetti, milk, vegetables and fruits. The complex sugar molecules here are broken into simpler substance and are stored in the form of glycogen to give the energy we need. Bad carbs are found in soda pop or soft drinks, snacks such as cookies and chips, pasta, white bread and alcohol. Though they give energy the carbohydrate content is highly refined and processed. Hence they are full of empty calories with no benefit. When these bad carbs are the only source of carbohydrates in our diet, our body abstracts energy from protein and fat. Moreover, these refined and processed carbohydrates are the main cause of heart disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Good carbs will not suppress our appetite because they are rich in fiber and protein which get digested easily. They give you enough strength between meals. Bad carbs fill the stomach easily and suppresses your appetite for now. But soon you will feel hungry because they have only empty calories and you land up in eating more that leads to obesity.

Calories just increases the body weight and has no nutritional value. Bad carbs has only calories and no carbohydrate content. Hence they contribute only to unwanted weight gain. But good carbs on the other hand is rich in carbohydrates which gives energy and not just calories that increases weight. This is the reason why weight loss program is based on low caloric diet.

According to the chemistry of carbohydrates, good carbs are complex carbs and bad carbs are simple carbs. Bad carbs are called glycemic agents that alters the glucose and insulin level rapidly leading to diabetes and fat gain. Try to replace refined and processed food with fresh whole foods.

Tips to control blood glucose without medication

You are lucky if you know beforehand that you are going to get diabetes. I called you lucky because you can do something to save yourself from taking medications and injections. You cannot prevent diabetes since it is heriditary but you can always keep them under control. This topic will be more useful for people who are at high risk of getting diabetes, those in pre-diabetic stage or probably gestational diabetic mothers.

Diet and exercise plays an important role to maintain your blood glucose level without medication. May be these are the only tricks and tips to keep yourself away from medication.

1. The total number of calories is usually individualized based on your current or desired weight and the presence of existing health problems. But the accepted diabetic diet may be 1000 or 1200 Kcal diabetic diet/day, which is adequate and maintains a good blood glucose level in most of the clients.

2. Make a plan of your daily diet considering 1200 Kcal as your limit. Do not have the same plan for the next day, instead use different food items each day so that you are not bored or start to hate a specific food.

3. You can find out a large variety of foods that can be used by diabetic clients from certain associations like 'food exchange from the American diabetic association diet or dietary guidelines for Americans' which are issued by the U.S Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human services.

4. You need not cook seperately for yourself because there is no food that you should avoid. All that matters is the amount. Cook for the whole family as usual but stay within your limits.

5. When you are planning your diet, consider your own likes and dislikes.

6. Eat 6 meals a day, you will feel hungry and go into low sugars easily because you eat less.

7. Eat foods that fills your stomach and is low in Calories.

8. If life style or your kind of occupation is causing this problem, you might have to alter or change them if necessary. Some people sit the whole 8 hours a day in their work which may lead to obesity and eventually diabetes. Such kind of workers can take a walk in between and have the habit of exercising daily.

9. Exercise will definitely lower the blood glucose levels.

10. As exercising causes weight loss, naturally your blood sugar level drops down.

11. Involve in some kind of sports or games you are interested in.

12. If you don't like to do exercise then try aerobics or yoga.

13. Keep yourself active and do the regular household work which itself is a good exercise.

14. Swimming, walking and jogging everyday keeps your body energitic and your mind at peace.

15. Buy a glucometer and check your sugar levels daily until its maintained.

These tips and tricks will surely keep your sugars under control without medication but keep your physician notified about your diet, exercise and sugar levels from time to time.