If you’re looking for life insurance in Virginia (aka life insurance VA), Bankers Fidelity offers a variety of plans to fit your particular needs and situation. At Bankers Fidelity, we don’t think of ourselves as merely sellers in the insurance world though. We want to help our customers live better, healthier, and longer lives. That’s why we’re proud and excited to offer potentially valuable information and news that may help people do just that. May is National Stroke Awareness Month. In honor of this annual event here is a little information followed by a few tips for avoiding a stroke and possibly causing your family to make use of your life insurance a lot sooner than you would have ever hoped.
What is a Stroke and How Common are They?
When blood flow to the brain is cut off for some reason, a stroke results. A stroke is an attack on a person’s brain that can, unfortunately, happen at any time to virtually any person. When the brain is deprived of blood, it is also deprived of the oxygen it contains, which causes the brain cells to die or become damaged. The reason why many stroke sufferers will temporarily or permanently be affected by things like memory loss or ability impairment to certain areas of the body correlates to what specific areas of the brain were damaged.
The severity of a stroke can range from minor, temporary pain and weakness in an arm or leg, to permanent paralysis or death. It is possible to recover fully from a stroke with no long-term effects, but two-thirds of survivors will be left with some sort of disability. Overall, approximately 800,000 people suffer a stroke every year and it is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States.
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Improve Overall Health: Perhaps not the most revolutionary piece of advice, but the best way to prevent a stroke starts with improving your health overall. Maintaining healthy blood pressure levels is one of the most important factors, but regular exercise and losing weight can play big roles as well. This doesn’t mean you have to turn yourself into a gym rat, but try to get in at least 30 minutes of exercise/activity every day. Something as simple as a walk around the block every morning can pay huge dividends when it comes to living a healthy life.
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Drink in Moderation: Surprising as it may be for some, drinking alcohol can actually help you prevent a stroke. Before you make a run to your local liquor store in the name of stroke prevention, keep in mind that experts say drinking in moderation is key to reaping the benefits here. That means one, maybe two drinks a night, according to Harvard Medical School.
“Studies show that if you have about one drink per day, your risk may be lower,” said Dr. Natalia Rost, associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and associate director of the Acute Stroke Service at Massachusetts General Hospital. “Once you start drinking more than two drinks per day, your risk goes up very sharply.” To really maximize your efforts make it a glass of red wine as studies have shown it can have positive effects on the brain and heart.
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Quit Smoking: Again, this shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone paying attention, but smoking cigarettes is one of the worst habits for your body and can often be a direct factor in premature usage of life insurance VA and around the world. When it comes to strokes, smoking thickens the blood, which can accelerate clot formations resulting in strokes.
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Treat Conditions That Put You At-Risk: Conditions such as diabetes and atrial fibrillation can easily lead to a stroke if left untreated. These are serious conditions in their own right that should be taken care of in and of themselves, but allowing them to fester can result in a stroke compounding the situation.
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Know the Warning Signs: The National Stroke Association has long promoted the acronym FAST when it comes to identifying and treating a possible stroke: Face, Arms, Speech, and Time. Weakness on one side of the body, numbness in the face, loss of vision and slurred speech are all crucial warning signs that indicate you should seek medical attention immediately.
Even if you have a life insurance VA policy doesn’t mean you should be eager to use it. Follow these tips to preventing a stroke and lead a better, healthier life overall.
