pryor later learned that a clot had formed on the vein on the right side of his neck, dislodged while he was skipping rope and shot up to his brain. “the doctor said it could have happened any variety of ways, even by a fierce sneeze. it was kind of a freak occurrence.”
strokes on the rise, even in younger people
according to the
heart & stroke foundation of canada, 878,000 canadians are living with stroke, and more than 89,000 strokes occur in canada every year. it’s the third leading cause of death, and it’s on the rise due to the aging population and to younger people, like pryor, having strokes in increasing numbers. stroke can hit anywhere anytime to anyone of any age,
even babies still in the womb.
the good news is, more canadians are surviving stroke because of prevention, awareness, and advancements in treatment and care. also, because more hospitals today are staffed with dedicated stroke teams and stroke units. in addition,
telestroke, which allows stroke specialists to participate virtually in lifesaving treatment to patients in remote communities, has expanded since it was introduced in 2002.
nine in 10 canadians have at least one risk factor for stroke
nine in 10 canadians have at least one risk factor for stroke or heart disease, and nearly 80 per cent can be prevented. healthy diet, physical activity and not smoking are the keys to prevention. then there are factors you can’t control: being a woman, especially a pregnant woman or post-menopausal; if you have a close relative who had a stroke; being indigenous or of south asian or african heritage; have chronic migraines; limited access to healthy food, safe drinking water and health services.
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