Hospitals see increase in cases of stroke during holiday period
Holiday parties have begun, and health professionals want you to think about what you are eating and drinking during the festivities to avoid a potentially fatal stroke.
“What we're seeing is that there is this measurable increase in in the risk of strokes, and not only that, but also just poor outcomes for patients that have strokes during the winter time,” explained physician George Dresser.
London Health Sciences Centre cautions against foods and activities that will increase your blood pressure.
“Over the holiday season, try to do those things that are going to really be helpful at lowering your own personal risk. The easiest one from a blood pressure standpoint, is just to be careful about salt intake.”
LHSC saw a 15 per cent increase in the number of stroke patients arriving at Victoria Hospital in the first six months of this year. A main contributor to stroke is hypertension, and eating food with less sodium and moderating alcohol intake are steps to improve blood pressure.
“A little bit of alcohol can increase the quality of your...holiday experience in a very significant way. But moderation is key,” said Dresser.
Exercise is another way keep your blood pressure at bay, and it doesn’t have to be intensive. Instead of lying down on the couch after a big holiday meal, get outside, Dresser recommends.
“You could put on some nice warm clothes and go out for a walk," he said. "That's a way...you'll still have a have a wonderful time with your family but you'll be doing something that's really healthy."
Hypertension occurs when blood pressure in the arteries rises, causing the heart to exert itself to pump blood into a person's blood vessels. It is estimated almost 30 per cent of hypertension can be attributed to excess dietary sodium, which is why Dresser is recommending the following:
- Be aware of your blood pressure, get it checked at a pharmacy, doctor's office, or purchase a blood pressure monitor and check it at home
- Exercise regularly
- Reduce your sodium intake
- Drink less alcohol
- Cut back on caffeine
- Eat more potassium-rich foods
- Eat berries
Other contributing factors over the holidays is managing stress and expectations.
“All of those things in terms of managing stress are really important. Because it will have a beneficial effect on what your blood pressure's doing when you're in those situations,” said Dresser, who is also a member of the Hypertension Canadian Task Force.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.