A busy schedule juggling work, family, and personal goals makes it easy to overlook what’s happening inside your body. Yet, some of your daily habits could slowly and silently lead you toward a life-threatening stroke. Read on to learn more about lifestyle habits that increase your stroke risk.

What Lifestyle Habits Increase Your Risk of Stroke?

A stroke strikes suddenly and without warning, but it can change your life in more ways than you can imagine. However, research suggests that most strokes can be prevented. Changing your lifestyle habits and being mindful of your consumption are significant improvements you can make. Here’s a list of lifestyle habits to be aware of:

1. Consuming Salty and Processed Foods

Did you know that a bag of chips or most fast-food meals you enjoy contain a high sodium content which is linked to high blood pressure? Over time, consuming food with too much salt can harden your arteries, making it difficult for proper blood flow and regulation, which can lead to a stroke. It’s easy to convince yourself that these foods are harmless, but if you don’t consume it in moderation, it could weaken blood vessels, which could be detrimental to your health.

2. Lack of Physical Activity

If you sit at a desk all day, binge-watch TV shows in your spare time, or your schedule is too busy to visit the gym, it can do more harm to your physical health than you might think. Lack of physical activity is another leading cause of increased stroke risk. If you are not keeping your heart and brain health at optimal levels, you will likely pay a life-threatening price.

3. Smoking

Most people are aware of the dangers associated with smoking. According to research, each time you smoke, you damage your blood vessels, raise your blood pressure, and make your blood thicker and more vulnerable to clots. Even if you don’t feel the effects of smoking immediately, the stroke risk is expected to increase the longer you choose to smoke.

4. Alcohol Consumption

According to the World Health Organization, there is an estimated 2 billion people who consume alcohol, with more than 400 million people over the age of 15 who live with various alcohol use disorders. While it’s common to think that a social drink or two is ok, excessive drinking is associated with over 200 diseases, with chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease being the leading risks.

5. Chronic Stress

Stress is a part of everyday life for most people, and it might be difficult to avoid altogether. However, constant exposure to uncontrolled stress is different because it can lead to chronic concerns. The pressure you put your mind and body through while you navigate stressful situations might raise your blood pressure, enhancing your chances of suffering a stroke.

6. Weight Gain and Obesity

Carrying extra weight can have a toll on your emotional, mental and physical health, which can lead to devastating outcomes for your heart and brain. Being overweight can increase the likelihood of raised high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, which are common and significant stroke triggers. This is why effective and practical weight management efforts are recommended as part of lifestyle habits that you should consider.

7. Lack of Quality Sleep

If you’re not getting enough quality sleep because you suffer from sleep conditions such as sleep apnoea or insomnia, it can impact your brain health and affect your central nervous system. Research suggests that sleep deprivation raises blood pressure and disrupts your cardiovascular system. This can result in a continuous lack of sleep, increasing your risk of stroke without warning signs until it’s too late.

Improving your quality of life depends on incorporating lifestyle habits like swapping salty food options for healthier ones, which can help lower your stroke risk. The good news is that small and practical changes are possible, and you can improve longevity and your overall well-being. Affinity Health offers exceptional medical coverage with plans that ensure access to necessary health screenings if you fear you might be at a higher risk of a stroke.