Lifestyle changes and unhealthy habits take a toll on one s physical and mental health resulting in many diseases. One such disease that is growing common is the stroke that occurs due to a sudden interruption of blood supply to the brain. As with any lifestyle disease, the chances of having a stroke can be reduced as well. Knowing the risk factors and taking appropriate measures can prevent you from a stroke attack. 

Read on to know the seven effective ways to prevent you from a stroke.

Opt for a healthy lifestyle: While smoking leads to an increased risk of suffering from a stroke, excessive consumption of alcohol not only triggers irregular heartbeats, but also high blood pressure, which can be a solid reason behind having a stroke. Therefore, leading a healthy lifestyle free from smoking and alcohol can help in preventing strokes.
Manage conditions: Whether it is diabetes or any other kind of illness which directly or indirectly give rise to the risk of having a stroke, dealing with one's underlying conditions is important. In case one is diagnosed with such a condition that can be responsible for a stroke, he or she must make it a point to keep that condition under control.
Lose weight: Obesity is often known to increase the complexities associated with a stroke such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Therefore, for those who are overweight, losing a few pounds can be really helpful in preventing the chances of having a stroke.
Keep blood pressure in check: High blood pressure often causes a stroke, if not controlled. It is referred to as the biggest contributor in causing a stroke by many. Lowering the high blood pressure or bringing it to normal levels can indeed be a great way of preventing a stroke.
Exercise regularly: Exercise not only contributes to lowering the blood pressure, but also helps to maintain body weight while ensuring the overall fitness of the body. Some light hand exercises or regular walking combined with proper diet can do wonders in preventing a stroke.
Have a proper sleep at night: Spending sleepless nights may increase the risk of stroke. Therefore, one must make it a point to maintain the necessary amount of sleep at night that can help in reducing stress and anxiety, while decreasing the chance of heart diseases as well as a stroke.
Never ignore the palpitations: Ignoring the palpitations is the last thing one can want to do, if he or she is willing to prevent the chances of suffering a stroke. Feelings of lightheadedness or shortness of breath, chest pain and abnormal heart beats can be warning signs for a stroke. Therefore, you must pay proper attention to these and deal with appropriate medications.
An otherwise healthy person can stay away from stroke by continuing a healthy lifestyle and following the tips mentioned above. However, if you have suffered a stroke earlier, then it becomes imperative to follow these tips along with supervised medical care.

Stroke - Can You Prevent It From Happening?

There are different types of heart problems like coronary artery disease, congenital heart failure and cardiomyopathy, but their warning signs are the same i.e. shortness of breath. This is the reason why shortness of breath should never be taken lightly and should always be investigated for heart diseases.

Why does shortness of breath happen?
You may not be able to get in enough air while experiencing shortness of breath. Known medically as dyspnea, shortness of breath is often described as an intense tightening in the chest and a feeling of suffocation. This is one of the most frightening conditions experienced by a patient. You can experience dyspnea without any serious medical problems in these conditions

After strenuous exercise
In extreme temperatures
Due to obesity and
In high altitudes
But if you are not in any of these conditions, then shortness of breath is a sign of a serious medical problem usually involving your heart or lungs. These two vital organs transport oxygen to the rest of your body and remove carbon dioxide; hence problems with either of these organs can affect your breathing. Shortness of breath that comes on suddenly called acute, can be due to other causes too like:

Asthma
Excess fluid around the heart
Low BP
Heart failure
Blood clot in an artery in the lung
Collapsed lung
Pneumonia
If you have had shortness of breath that has lasted for weeks, then we call it chronic and its causes can be various diseases of the heart apart from asthma and COPD. There is no doubt that your heart may be in trouble, if you have chronic shortness of breath. You may be suffering from these heart conditions:

Cardiomyopathy or problems with the heart muscle cause symptoms like shortness of breath after physical exertion as well as fatigue, and swelling of legs and abdomen. Patients suffering from cardiomyopathy are at risk of sudden death due to cardiac arrest.
Heart arrhythmias is also called irregular heartbeat, and can cause slow or fast heartbeats. These also have symptoms like shortness of breath. Arrhythmias can cause strokes, heart failure and cardiac arrest.
Heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to pump blood efficiently to meet the needs of the body. This is a potentially fatal condition. One of the most common symptom is shortness of breath with exercise and while lying down. Fatigue is another common symptom.
Pericarditis or swelling of membranes around the heart is also characterised by shortness of breath.
Treatment of breathlessness can start after you are referred to a heart specialist for further tests to confirm the likely cause.

Shortness in Breath - Can Your Heart Be In Danger?

There is no fixed definition for the best diet. It solely depends on the health condition, requirement, and restrictions of a patient that a diet can be planned that can help deal with or prevent a particular health threat while ensuring overall good health.

Cholesterol is becoming a widely known threat responsible for inflammation and forming blood clots which may lead to strokes and heart attacks. Since it is a growing concern, it is recommended the patient follows a proper diet that can help in keeping the cholesterol level in the blood under control. To make such a best diet, below are few necessary and practical tips.

Opt For Healthier Fats
One must remember that the saturated fat found in the dairy products and red meat raise the level of the bad cholesterol or LDL, instead of reducing it. Receiving around 7 percent of the regular calorie need of the body is necessary from saturated fats. Therefore, one needs to opt for healthier saturated fats, such as canola or olive oils, monounsaturated fat products, low-fat dairy products, etc.

Increase the Intake of Fiber
The more the sources of fiber will be there in one s diet, especially the soluble ones, the more health benefits one can have from that diet regarding the cholesterol reduction. Fresh fruits, oat bran, oats, beans, vegetables, and lentil are excellent sources of fiber and must be there in one's diet to make it the best.

Avoid having Trans Fats
Trans fats are known to increase the bad cholesterol(LDL) and reduce the good cholesterol (HDL). Therefore, eliminating sources of trans fats from one's diet will automatically contribute to keeping the cholesterol levels under control. Usually, it is the fried foods, various commercial products such as snack cakes, crackers or cakes, junk foods that are filled with trans fats and must be avoided.

Include Whey Protein
Whey protein has found to be a good source of reducing LDL or low-density lipoprotein and maintaining a balance in the overall cholesterol production inside the body. Therefore, including foods like ricotta cheese, yogurt, cereals, oatmeal, etc., each of them being rich in whey, can be a smart way of making one's diet more heart-friendly.

Add Omega 3 Fatty Acid Rich Foods
To make your diet a cholesterol reducer, try eating foods that are rich in omega 3 fatty acid. Though this particular fat is not associated with affecting the LDL cholesterol, it helps in the good cholesterol or HDL level in the blood, reducing both the triglycerides in the blood and blood pressure. Walnuts, ground flaxseeds, almonds, fishes like salmon, herring and mackerel are a few good sources of omega 3 fatty acid.

Apart from making the diet healthier and heart friendly, one should consider making some lifestyle changes such as to exercise regularly, to quit smoking, etc., to make the diet more effective and its results long-lasting.

Diet That Can Keep Cholesterol Under Control!

Most may not be aware of the fact that the human body requires cholesterol for normal functioning. Though normal levels of cholesterol are essential for proper functioning, any fluctuations in these levels can lead to disorders like hyperlipidemia and hypolipidemia.

Cholesterol, a soft, fat-like substance helps in building new cells and secreting hormones. While 80% of the cholesterol is produced by the liver, 20% is obtained from the food you eat. The cholesterol sticks to a protein called the lipoprotein and along with it travels through the bloodstream. Among these lipoproteins, HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein) is good for the body, and the other four namely LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein), VLDL (Very Low-Density Lipoprotein), and Triglycerides are bad for your body.

Complications
While high blood cholesterol can lead to complications such as heart attack or stroke, low blood cholesterol would indicate the presence of an underlying condition and in either case, proper treatment and management are essential.

Managing high cholesterol

Diet and exercise: The first line of treatment begins with an active lifestyle and a healthy diet. Choosing healthier fats, avoiding trans fats, limiting dietary cholesterol, including whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, and limiting alcohol consumption along with adequate exercise should reduce the levels without medication.
Medication: If the cholesterol levels do not reduce despite m lifestyle changes, the physician will prescribe a combination of medications, considering several factors such as the individual s age, present health condition, and the side effects of the medication. The common drugs used to reduce high cholesterol are statins, bile-acid-binding resins, cholesterol absorption inhibitors, and injectable medications.
Managing low cholesterol: In the case of being diagnosed with low cholesterol, the treatment focus would be handling the underlying condition. 
Irrespective of the type of cholesterol disorder, it is essential to follow the doctor s advice in both cases to avoid the risk associated and lead a healthy life.

Dealing with Cholesterol Disorders

Some foods punch well above their weight in helping to reduce cholesterol levels, we call them'cholesterol busters. Choosing a healthy diet, low in saturated fat is important in helping to keep your cholesterol low but you can reduce your cholesterol levels further by including these super six foods in your everyday diet.

Super food 1 - soya foods
Being naturally low in saturated fat, soya foods help lower cholesterol. The special proteins in soya also appear to influence how the body regulates cholesterol too. Studies show you can lower your cholesterol by around 6% by including as little as 15g soya protein per day.

Choose from: soya alternatives to milk and yogurt, soya desserts, soya meat alternatives, soya nuts, edamame beans and tofu.

Super food 2 - nuts
All nuts are rich in vegetable protein, fibre, heart healthy unsaturated fats, vitamin e, magnesium, potassium, natural plant sterols and a host of beneficial plant nutrients. 30-35g a day of nuts (a handful) has the potential to lower cholesterol by an average of 5%.

Super food 3 - oats and barley
Both oats and barley are rich in a form of soluble fibre called beta glucan. Once eaten beta glucan forms a gel which helps bind cholesterol in the intestines and prevent it from being absorbed. It is recommended that we eat about 3g of beta glucan per day. Foods which contain 1g or more of beta glucan can carry a cholesterol lowering claim.

Super food 4 -foods fortified with plant sterols and stanols
Plant sterols are structurally similar to cholesterol and can be divided into sterols and stanols. Their cholesterol lowering effects have been known for some time.

Plant sterols/stanols are naturally found in a wide range of foods such as vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. However, for most people, it is not possible to achieve the optimum intake from ordinary foods.

Super food 5 - fruits and vegetables
All fruits and vegetables are low in saturated fat so eating more helps to keep saturated fat intake low. Fruit and vegetables are also a valuable source of cholesterol lowering soluble fibres. Try to include at least one pulse (beans, peas, lentils) everyday. Other rich sources of soluble fibre include sweet potato, aubergene, okra (ladies finger), broccoli, apples, strawberry and prunes.

Super food 6 - foods rich in unsaturated fats
Keeping our daily saturated fat intake below 20g (women) and 30g (men) is vital for cholesterol lowering, but it is equally important to replace this saturated fat with modest amounts of unsaturated fats such as those found in olive, sunflower, corn, rapeseed and other vegetable, nut and seed oils. Other foods rich in unsaturated fats include vegetable spreads, avocado, oily fish and nuts. Avoid coconut and palm oil as, unlike other these vegetable oils, they are rich in saturated fats.

6 Super Foods That Actively Help Lower Cholesterol

Coronary artery blockage is the most common heart disease and also causes of premature death in the present era. Comparatively, male sex is more prone to the Arterial Blockages than females. Heart muscles need a regular blood supply, oxygen molecules and nutrients to function properly. Heart muscles need a regular blood supply, oxygen molecules and nutrients to function properly. Coronary arteries are those which supply blood to the heart muscles, any blockage in the coronary arteries causes decreases the supply of blood to the heart muscles. Coronary artery blockage is caused due to the build-up of the cells, fat and cholesterol which is called as plaque, which leads to lack of blood supply to the heart muscles.

When the person is active and takes too much stress, the heart needs, even more, blood supply, but when the coronary artery is blocked then there will be a lack of blood supply to heart muscles, such a condition is known as ischemic heart disease. Common symptoms of ischemic heart disease are

Irregular heart rhythm

Shortness of the breath

Angina pain

Tightness in chest

These symptoms take time to appear, but with the gradual decrease in oxygen supplied by the blood the muscles of the heart can get damaged, sometimes even permanently and that is what happens in a heart attack. If someone is suffering from ischemia since long, then it can lead to irregular heartbeat and heart failure.

Tests conducted for detecting coronary artery disease:

Electrocardiogram

Exercise Stress

Nuclear Scan Test

Stress Thallium Test

Cardiac Catheterization

You doctor based on your medical history and symptoms will refer a particular test.

Treatments

If the coronary artery disease is diagnosed, then there are a number of ways it can be treated including lifestyle changes, medication, procedure or surgery

Lifestyle changes: It includes daily exercise, changes in the diet and strictly no smoking

Medication: In the allopathic system of medicine, medication can only help treat the symptoms of blocked coronary arteries, it cannot fix them.

Ayurvedic Approach: The way of understanding of medoroga prakarana according to yogaratnakara and other acharyas are unique. Even stoulya and medoroga is caused due to medo vruddi. Our acharya explains stoulya prakarana and medo roga prakarana in separately. It indicates that Stoulya includes fatty deposition in the adipose tissue. Likewise Medo roga including fat molecules and plasma cholesterol in the blood. Due to the more quantity of the fat molecules and plasma cholesterol in the blood, it can cause several disorders including coronary artery blockage, gallbladder stones, PCOD, Hypothyroidism, X-syndrome etc.

Clinically sometimes a person may be lean but can suffer from coronary artery disease or gallbladder stones, hypercholesterolemia, higher plasma cholesterol levels. Sometimes, we can t find these conditions in obese persons, but they are more at risk of suffering from these problems.

Ayurvedic Medication:

Line of treatment:

Hrudya vati 1000mg 2 times a day before food can be helpful

Anarsha Kshara 3 pinch before food.

Sukha virechana Churna 1tsb after food will surely help

Note:

At the plaque formation stage in arteries and before the thrombus (blood clot) formation, plasma cholesterol management is required and for this Hrudya vati is highly recommended
With the help of above mentioned ayurvedic medicines, we can easily treat coronary artery blockage of 10 to 100%, without any stent or bypass surgery
Anupana: Water, Honey or Ghrutha
Other indications

Prevention of heart attack

Increased blood cholesterol (Lipid Profile Abnormalities)

Gall Bladder Stones

PCOD

Hypothyroidism

Metabolic X-Syndrome.

Conclusion

Coronary artery Blockage is caused due to Medo Vruddi in the blood that may accumulate in the coronary artery vessels. And, will eventually cause ischemia in the heart muscles i.e. craving of the oxygen supply to the heart muscles. That may produce the symptom like irregular heart rhythm, shortness of the breath, angina. After that, it may lead to thrombus formation and can cause myocardial infarction.

Serological Study: Sometimes 100% blockage with cholesterol, fat molecules and cells i.e. Plaque may not show any symptoms, but sometimes even 20-30% of blockage can show all the symptoms. So in the higher cholesterol level or in the hypercholesterolemia conditions and in the early stages of the Plaque formation, one should take medication.

Scientific study:- By observing different scholar s scientific study of all the ingredients of Hrudya vati with respect to regularization of cholesterol level and break down of Plaque formation, we concluded that Hrudya Vati is the drug of choice for the coronary artery blockages.

Animal experiment: Also for further study we conducted an animal experiment on mice in Govt M-Pharma College Bangalore. Experiment result shows serum cholesterol level becomes normal. So that it can prevent the coronary blockage, and reverse the coronary artery blockages.

Clinical study: Through the Clinical study we observed that at the stage of plaque formation in the coronary artery and other arteries can be removed permanently that is 100% by advising Hrudya Vati. 

No need to go for any stunt or bypass operation. With this medication can clear the pathway of the blood vessels, also prevents the blockages & heart attack. In case, there is a family history of heart attack and your blood cholesterol is high, it is advisable that you take at least one course of Hrudya vati, once a year. So, everyone must try to understand the condition of the coronary artery blockage and prevent further complications based on the evidence.

Ayurvedic Treatment For Coronary Artery Blockage Without Surgery!

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