Stroke

What is a stroke?

Stroke refers to the loss or death of brain cells due to the lack of oxygen and blood supply to the brain. There are 3 main types of stroke:

Transient Ischaemic Attack: also known as ‘mini stroke’ as it’s usually associated as a warning sign for a mild to severe stroke. These occur when there is a temporary blockage in the blood vessels of the brain resulting in a loss of blood supply to the brain. Symptoms usually last less than 24hrs before returning to normal function. However it is important not to ignore symptoms and to seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Ischemic stroke: the most common kind of stroke refers to when an artery of the brain becomes blocked by a blood clot preventing circulation to a specific part of the brain.

Haemorrhagic stroke: these strokes occur when there is a rupture in the wall of a blood vessel resulting in leakage of blood throughout the brain.

This stoppage in blood flow to the brain prevents oxygen and vital nutrients reaching the brain which can ultimately affect our body’s ability to function. Common symptoms after a stroke include weakness, numbness and paralysis of usually one side of the body, difficulty speaking or interpreting others, blurred vision, loss of balance and difficulty with memory or thinking.

Modifiable Risk Factors (we can help you change these!):

High blood pressure
Smoking
High alcohol consumption
Diabetes
A diet high in saturated fats and cholesterol
Physical inactivity and obesity
High cholesterol
Other forms of heart disease eg. coronary heart disease

Non Modifiable Risk Factors (you can’t change these):

Age (people over 55yrs have a higher risk),
Gender (males generally have a higher risk than females) and
Family history of stroke.

How can Bites Dietitians help?

Our diet can play a big role in managing our risk of stroke or preventing further strokes. Managing and controlling common health conditions such as high cholesterol and hypertension is an important focus for dietary change. High cholesterol is strongly linked to consuming a diet high in saturated fats and low in dietary fibre along with other contributing factors. As ischemic strokes are caused by atherosclerosis (build-up of plaque in artery wall), they are more common in individuals who have high cholesterol. Hypertension is also associated with ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes. Hypertension is associated with high intakes of sodium and/or saturated fats and low intake of potassium. Potassium is an important part of our diets when managing hypertension as studies have shown that potassium can lessen the effect of salt and help to prevent high blood pressure.

Our Dietitians will conduct an assessment of your current diet, lifestyle and overall health status and develop a meal plan that targets any existing health conditions such as high cholesterol or develop a meal plan with you that aims to actively reduce the risk of developing these conditions. We will implement different strategies to help reduce the intake of saturated fats and replace this with monounsaturated fats found in plant foods e.g. nuts and avocado and polyunsaturated fats which are made up of omega-3 and omega-6 fats which can be found in foods such as oily fish e.g. salmon and mackerel which have been proven to actively reduce the risk of stroke!

Our Dietitians will create a tailored meal plan that will ensure you are meeting all your dietary requirements whilst receiving adequate nutrition from real (and delicious!) food. We will assist and educate you on how to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle through dietary strategies that are achievable and most importantly maintainable. By doing this we can help you to successfully reduce your risk of stroke whilst also successfully managing any other health condition you may have already!

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An interesting fact about diet and stroke

Did you know that every hour, five Australians die from a stroke or blood vessel disease and many live with a disability caused by having a stroke or heart attack! More than 80% of strokes can be prevented. Evidence has shown that there is an association between fruit and vegetable consumption and stroke risk. It has been found that consuming a diet high in both fruits and vegetables is associated with lower rates of stroke.

How can Bites Exercise Physiologists help?

It is important to remember that everybody is different, you will have a different cluster of risk factors, likes/dislikes and current health situation to someone else! It all starts with an initial consultation with one of our friendly Exercise Physiologists where we will discuss your situation, medical history, concerns and goals which will help us to understand where you’re at and build the best possible plan for you. We may then undertake some baseline tests and measurements to understand your current physical fitness and give you something you can then retest so in a few months and over the years you can see how far you’ve come throughout your journey with us. We want to keep you motivated and accountable so constant check ins and further consultations will enable us to adjust your plan and ensure you are performing the exercises correctly to ensure maximal benefits. Generally our aim for a stroke patient is to perform functional tasks to help them achieve everyday activities and make them feel confident and capable for independent living. Therefore the movements in our strength programs will target your activities of daily living specifically. Cardio exercising is an important factor for stroke patients as stroke can impact your endurance and fatigue levels. Research has produced some significant evidence in the use of treadmill walking and improvements in stroke patients speed as well as stride length. Other studies have displayed circuit training to also have some benefits. Another focus area we would target is balance as stroke survivors are often at an increased risk of falls, therefore if you’d like to work on this too, balance exercises will also be incorporated into our programs. The biggest improvements are usually produced within the first 6 months post stroke so the sooner you get to us the better! Book in an appointment with us now to start your journey towards a healthier life!

An interesting fact about exercise and rheumatoid arthritis

Did you know there is a transfer affect when training the unaffected side of the body which can show significant improvements in strength, mobility and coordination to the affected side
A 12 week strength program performed 2 x a week can show a 68% increase in strength on the affected side of the body
Active men and women have a reduced risk of stroke by up to 25-30% compared to those who are inactive
Biggest and most significant improvements in physical fitness and symptoms are seen within the first 6 months post stroke.

What improvements can you expect from a tailored exercise program?

Enhance your mental health to stabilise your moods and increase your confidence within yourself
Improve your walking ability and can increase stride length therefore increasing walking pace
Improve your balance to reduce the risk of falls
Improves muscular strength, endurance and coordination in the stroke affected side of the body
Helps you to return to activities of daily living for independent living
Increase in energy and endurance levels to reduce fatigue
Decreased risk of recurrent strokes and other major health conditions
Lower your blood pressure and manage risk factors like hypertension that increase your risk of stroke
Pain alleviation
Improvements in alertness and thinking ability
Improvements in sleep

Helpful things to bring/remember before your first appointment

Referral from your GP
List of medications currently taking (these can affect the intensity of exercise we set for you!)
Any specialist letters or notes
Any scans or test results relating to your stroke
Any cardiac or stress testing results performed with your treating cardiologist

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Contact Details

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305/29–31 Lexington Drive, Bella Vista NSW 2153

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0452 458 146

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