07 May Beginning of May marks the Action on Stroke Month!

Strokes. Always quite shocking when you hear of somebody around town has a stroke, something we can associate with as a result of bad health, but do we actually know the reasoning behind why we have strokes? A stroke is a serious, life-threatening medical condition that occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. Strokes are a medical emergency and urgent treatment is essential because the sooner a person receives treatment for a stroke, the less damage is likely to happen. If you suspect that you or someone else is having a stroke, phone 999 immediately and ask for an ambulance. For you see we’ve selected strokes specifically to discuss in our weekly blog for a reason, as the beginning of May marks the Action on Stroke Month. Here at Annurca, we want to help make May purple for stroke! So help us try and raise awareness for this great cause! Join us for an action-packed month that will see whole communities having fun, going purple and raising money to conquer stroke. Get involved and wear, knit, bake or paint it purple!

So, to get to know a little more about strokes and what causes them. Like all organs, the brain needs the oxygen and nutrients provided by blood to function properly. If the supply of blood is restricted or stopped, brain cells begin to die. This can lead to brain injury, disability and possibly death. There are two main causes of strokes:

• Ischaemic –where the blood supply is stopped due to a blood clot (this accounts for 85% of all cases)
• Haemorrhagic –where a weakened blood vessel supplying the brain bursts

In the UK, strokes are a major health problem. Every year, around 110,000 people have a stroke in England and it is the third largest cause of death, after heart disease and cancer. The brain injuries caused by strokes are a major cause of adult disability in the UK. Smoking, being overweight, lack of exercise and a poor diet are also risk factors for stroke, as are high cholesterol, atrial fibrillation and diabetes. We can significantly reduce the risk of having a stroke through a healthy lifestyle, such as eating a healthy diet, taking regular exercise, drinking alcohol in moderation and not smoking. Something we can help to implement and support here at Annurca. All the guidance and help you need, we can provide for you. Action on Stroke Month is something we support greatly here at Annurca, we want to help prevent this as much as possible, so please take a look at the website http://www.stroke.org.uk/strokemonth, and help us make May purple!