In the past, the measures for trying to predict stroke occurrence has been obesity, diabetes, and cholesterol levels. These are not perfect predictors, but they can help improve the accuracy of predicting ischemic stroke as this is caused by a blood vessel blockage and oxygen levels are decreased within the brain. However, there are other prediction methods, too. One of these is the frequency of migraine headaches. Research shows that those who suffer from migraines are at double the risk of having a stroke as a normal, healthy, person. This is vital information for seniors that have these headaches as they are already at a higher disposition for a stroke because of their age. Smokers find themselves at an even higher risk if they have migraines.
This is information that is especially useful when it comes to planning senior care. If you know that an elderly loved one is at a higher risk than normal for a potentially deadly disease like a stroke, you can take extra precautions right away. Using a caregiver to help monitor your parent can be a lifesaving measure that you might never have thought of before. When it comes to a stroke, the quicker treatment is obtained, the higher the likelihood of survival, and the fewer permanent disabilities will be present. One issue that many elderly folk that do not have a caregiver find is that if they suffer from a stroke, no one knows about it for hours, or even days, after the fact. This can be fatal in some instances. Just by having a professional eye on them, you can save their life.
The relationship between migraine and stroke is still not clearly known, but it’s been clear for years that the two have a correlation. Ischemic strokes are the most common type, representing 85 percent of all strokes, and this is also the majority of strokes related to migraines. However, hemorrhagic strokes also occur with a high level of correlation to migraines. This happens when there is bleeding in the brain.
There are some guesses as to why this happens, but one of them is that the medications used to control migraines increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. This is why it’s so important that you have your mom or dad consult with a doctor before they start taking any sort of medicine, even if they are over the counter pills. When combined with other drugs, these can create a whole list of further problems that could be easily avoided.
Again, having a professional caregiver helping with the care of your parent can help keep them safer in the event that a stroke ever does occur, but it also provides help elsewhere, too. It lessens the amount of stress put upon them each day by helping them out with household chores, any meal prep, bathing, grooming, and anything else that they might need. It’s an easy way to help them to relax more and not put themselves at further risk of injury or accident.
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