A stroke occurs when the blood supply to your brain is disrupted by a blocked, leaking or burst blood vessel. Strokes can cause paralysis, difficulty with swallowing, speech problems, inability to concentrate, language comprehension issues, mood swings and damaged eyesight…even death.
By knowing what can cause a stroke, you will be better prepared in trying to prevent one, regardless of your age. According to Helen Webb, spokeswoman for the Stroke Association, “A quarter of strokes happen to those under 65, and 1,000 people every year who have strokes are under 30.”
High blood pressure accounts for 70 percent of strokes. But an accident (something falling on your head) or even a sudden neck movement (an overextended neck in a sink during hair washing, fairground rides, sitting in a dentist’s chair, sit-ups, etc.) can also cause strokes…even if they are rare.
There are also other risk factors. If you are diabetic or of African, Afro-Caribbean or Asian decent, then you are statistically more likely to have a stroke.
However, the good news is that an estimated 40 percent of strokes can be prevented, and simple lifestyle changes—keeping a normal blood pressure, not drinking to excess, being smoke free, regular exercise, maintaining a healthy, low-sodium diet—can help you lower your risk. The key is to keep your weight normal.
Just because you say a stroke won’t happen to you doesn’t mean that it can’t. So embrace the alternative—do not ignore the possibility—because the decisions you make with your life can and often do shape the quality of the life you live.
Popular Brain Tips 
Strokes happen—to anyone, at any age, at any time. So, if you are one of those people who think, “this won’t happen to me,” change your thinking, because if you want to minimize your risk of having a stroke you need to understand what causes a stroke to happen in the first place.
