A few days ago, while I was writing a book on stroke recovery (The ideal stroke recovery guide), I realized that there are a lot of connotations from people on the relationship between stress and stroke. I saw a question that struck me, and as simple as it was it kept me wondering. “Can stress really cause stroke?”.

We see a lot of young people today and adults in general, trying to make sure everything works out for them in the long run of life and 70% of them don’t actually care about the costs. It’s all a struggle to free ourselves from the shackles of poverty but while we are at it, we should make sure we are not putting our lives at risk. Because once that happens, how will we be able to enjoy the life we have so painstakingly suffered for?

Let’s start with the question WHAT IS STRESS?

In today’s world, 90% of people experience stress in a bid to carry out their daily lives, but I’m sure a lot of people do not know the standard definition of the word “stress”.

Stress is an emotional, physical, and mental component that induces physiological or mental strain. It is recognized as a degree of anxiety or psychological tension brought on us by the challenging circumstances of our physical lives.

Although everyone goes through periods of stress as it is the normal reaction for humans to physical challenges, how we individually respond and handle stress is what has a profound impact on our health and well-being.

CAN STRESS CAUSE STROKE?

Apart from the outer evidence of stress we all know and complain of, one of which is acne, chronic and prolonged stress has a number of impacts on our bodies which include, asthma, heart attacks, immune system deterioration, heart failures, high blood pressure, low fertility rates, etc.

A few of the above-mentioned can be identified as risk factors that can lead to a stroke and high blood pressure is at the top of the list. Thus, although stress does not directly cause a stroke, it can link you up with diseases that lead to it. In as much as we are keen to create bright futures for ourselves, we should also understand the importance of our health in the active enjoyment of the wealth we will finally acquire.

Due to the difficulties of our daily society, it is very essential for us to always monitor our stress levels and identify our stress triggers. Below are a few things that can help with stress management.

1. Identify those things that cause you to feel worried and irritated and consider approaches to dealing with them.

2. Don’t always think you need to solve every problem on your own. Ask for assistance and encouragement from your friends and family and make sure you have at least one person who’s ready to share your struggles with you.

3. Identify what is most important daily and learn how to say “NO” to things you can term irrelevant.

4. Get involved in stress management practices like yoga, deep breathing, etc.

5. Lead a healthy lifestyle. Eat healthily, exercise regularly, and ensure you have a healthy amount of sleep every day.

It is impossible to avoid stress but it is feasible to minimize its negative impact on our lives. You should always check your stress levels and determine ways you can deal with them to avert diseases that can lead to a stroke.