Prevention is better than treatment, Doctor Hafiz says
The Murray Bridge Day and Night Surgery guides you through stroke prevention and detection.
This sponsored story is brought to you by Murray Bridge Day and Night Surgery.
Did you know regional Australians are 17 percent more likely to suffer a stroke than those in metropolitan areas?
That’s one of the figures highlighted during National Stroke Week, observed this year from August 5-11.
Murray Bridge Day and Night Surgery encourages the community to know the signs and potentially save a life.
Doctor Hafiz Tanveer-Ul-Hassan says prevention is always better than treatment when it comes to medical issues such as strokes.
More than 80 per cent of strokes can be prevented.
Dr Hafiz recommends keeping up with healthy lifestyle habits such as exercise and a balanced, healthy diet.
It’s recommended that you get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity five or more days per week.
“This is very significant in reducing the risk of stroke and heart disease,” he says.
Other risk factors for stroke include smoking, alcohol intake, stress levels, family history and, most importantly, blood pressure levels.
In 2020, 6535 first-ever strokes occurred in people aged 54 years and under.
Dr Hafiz encourages those who are 45 and over to get regular health assessments.
“With age, these risk factors increase, so we encourage more people to come in and get their blood pressure checked,” he says.
The initial symptoms of a stroke can involve weakness, numbness or paralysis on one or both sides of the body, dizziness, loss of vision, headache and difficulty swallowing.
Practice manager Wendy Ziersch says there are certain things family members can look for if an older relative is in the early stages of a stroke, such as the FAST rule.
Using the FAST test involves asking these simple questions:
- Face: Check their face. Has their mouth drooped?
- Arms: Can they lift both arms?
- Speech: Is their speech slurred? Do they understand you?
- Time: Is critical, if you see any of these signs call 000 straight away.
“As we get older there’s a lot of added stress on peoples lives … so we’ve really got to put ourselves forward,” Ms Ziersch says.
“As a rural community, it’s more common to push our health to the back of our minds.”
“Just check in with (your) health professional.”
Ms Ziersch also reminds you that it’s not too late to get an influenza shot and keep ahead of the flu season.
- Book a health check: Visit Murray Bridge Day and Night Surgery at 35-37 Adelaide Road, Murray Bridge between 8am and 9pm on weekdays, call 8531 2988 or visit www.murraybridgemedical.com.au; or, in the case of an emergency, call 000.
- Stroke information resources: Visit the Heart Foundation atwww.heartfoundation.org.au or the Australian Stroke Foundation at strokefoundation.org.au.
Interested in advertising with Murray Bridge News? We can help you reach more than 20,000 highly engaged locals. Call Jane Intini on 0418 835 768 or email jane@murraybridge.news.
Peri Strathearn
