Vim & Vigor - Winter 2010 - North Mississippi - (Page 20)

S  Do you smoke?  Are you overweight?  Is your favorite motto, “It’s five o’clock somewhere”? moking, overeating and excessive drinking are the trifecta of risky health habits. Rani Whitﬁeld, M.D., a family physician and spokesman for the American Stroke Association, offers this advice: Quit smoking, drink only in moderation, exercise at least 30 minutes most days of the week, and modify your diet so you’re getting the minimum ﬁve servings per day of fruits and vegetables along with whole grains, low-fat dairy and lean protein such as skinless chicken breasts and ﬁsh. “Smoking is the single most preventable cause of death in the United States, and obesity is right behind it,” Whitﬁeld says. “Stop smoking, and your life expectancy increases the same day.” I  Do you have a parent, grandparent, sister or brother who has had a stroke?  Have you had a prior stroke, TIA (transient ischemic attack) or heart attack?  Are you 55 or older? f you answered yes to any or all of the above questions, you have what’s called nonmodiﬁable risk factors for stroke, meaning risk factors you can’t change. It’s always good to know your family’s health history, but be more concerned if you’ve had a prior stroke, heart attack or TIA. TIAs are called “warning strokes” because they produce strokelike symptoms but no lasting damage. If you’ve had one or more TIAs, you’re almost 10 times more likely to have a stroke than someone of the same age and sex who hasn’t, according to the American Stroke Association. Aging also takes a toll on your arteries, doubling your chance of having a stroke for each decade of life after 55, according to the association. “As you age, your arteries become more fragile,” Senelick says. “They are less elastic and ﬂexible. They become brittle. This hardening of the arteries is called atherosclerosis. The more buildup of atherosclerosis, the more likely these arteries are to clog or close off. If this occurs in the brain, it will result in stroke.” Although risk for stroke increases as we get older, stroke can occur at any age—infancy, teens and during the prime of our life. If you have one or more risk factors for stroke that can’t be changed, don’t panic, Senelick advises. Learn the warning signs of stroke and don’t use rationalizations such as “I’ll feel better in the morning” if they occur. Instead, immediately dial 911 and check the time. Your healthcare team will ask, “When did the ﬁrst warning sign or symptom start?” 20 Vim & Vigor · WI N TER 2 010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Winter 2010 - North Mississippi

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2010 - North Mississippi
Table of Contents
Opening Thoughts
Lives Renewed
Hands-On Approach
Smart Moves
Miss Information
Stroke Sense
Gut Feelings
On the Cover - The Story on Stress
The Faces of Skin Cancer
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark
A Natural Dilemma
17 Reasons to Work in Healthcare
Aerobics Roundup
Make a Splash
It’s a Great Place to Work
Catch the Spirit

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2010 - North Mississippi