Do you worry about having a stroke? Have others in your family had one?

You have reason for concern but it doesn't guarantee you will have one. Firstly, there are two kinds of stroke - the clotting kind and the hemorraghing kind. If the hemorraghing kind runs in your family, it usually means that the capillaries in your brain may have thinner than normal walls and more easily burst. And we all know what clotting is. But its not the "stroke" that is inherited, it may be the genetic predisposition to your blood tending to clot. It is only when the clot gets stuck that you have a stroke. What I would do is make this a motivation to change your lifestyle. Get moderate exercise no matter how heavy or skinny you are. Start reading labels and put yourself on a low sodium diet. You will be surprised how much sodium is in canned and packaged food! If you smoke at all - quit. Then talk to your doctor about your concerns and perhaps they can put you on a therapeutic aspirin regimen or screen you for clotting, etc. Also, watching your blood pressure is absolutely critical. If you are overweight, have a very stressful job, etc you may want to make some changes. It could turn out that you never have a stroke because you have genes from both parents that get all mixed around. But take sensible precautions and you can reduce your risk.

YES and YES! You should worry! My father had a stroke about 12 years ago and my mom just had one in Feb. my father still has some effects left but can function pretty well. My mom.. well, it's still early but she had a very bad one and also has aphasia and apraxia along with all of the other physical things. Because both my parents have now had a stroke my blood was checked for some blood disorders. I found out I have a protein S deficiency which only occurs in about 1 in every 20,000 people. You should get checked.. there is a whole battery of tests that can be run (I only had a few tests done). I would do lots of research on the subject and see what is fitting to your specific situation. In any case, try to live a heart healthy lifestyle and get rid of any risk factors that are in your control (such as smoking). These things can be drastic and difficult (believe me, I know) but just keep trying to do whatever you can and educating yourself. Good Luck! Let's hope we are the lucky ones in our families and slip by without having a stroke!

My dad had a stroke last year, its kind of scary at first where you have to watch the person unable to move. He couldnt move his right side. But then the best part watching the recovery, now hes able to move almost as good as he was b4 the stroke but its better than nothing i guess.

i just want to share with you something from my inbox which i found very true. i thank God that this was known to me when my grandfather had one. i've tried it and its really true! it helps to stay calm when a stroke occurs. when stroke strikes, the capillaries in the brain will gradually burst. no matter where the victim is, we shouldnt move him/her. because if moved, the capillaries will burst. we just need to help the victim to sit up where he is to prevent from falling over again, and then the bloodletting should begin. if you have in your home an injection syringe, that would be the best, otherwise, a sewing needle or straight pin will do. (in my case, i wasnt able to find one, i used safety pin instead) place the needle/pin over fire to sterilize it, and then use it to prick/pierce the tip of all 10 fingers. There are no specific acupuncture points, just prick/pierce about a millimeter from the fingernail. Prick/pierce till blood comes out. if blood does not start to drip, then squeeze with your fingers. when all 10 digits is bleeding, wait a few minutes then the victim will regain consciousness. if the victim's mouth is crooked, then pull on his ears until they are red. then prick/pierce each ear lobe twice until two drops of blood comes from each ear lobe. after a few minutes, the victim should regain consciousness. wait till the victim regain his normal state without any abnormal symptoms then take him to the hospital, otherwise, if he was taken in the ambulance in a hurry to the hospital, the bumpy trip will cause all the capillaries in his brain to burst. if he could save his life, barely managing to walk, then it is by the grace of his ancestors. i had practical experience with it and its really proven! hope it helps! ü

Hmm.. you should worry as it run in ur family. My family, we have no history of stroke. But I still worry since the last three months, the doctor told me that my cholestrol level is high and I am only 27. Luckily my blood pressure is OK. But I do take precautions. Prevention is better than cure,right? Exercise. And watch out for what I eat. Go for low fat goods. No to fast foods. Less outside foods. Less prawns and squids. Regular checking of my blood pressure and 6 months of cholesterol level. More fish and less red meat in my diet. Supplements like Fish oil and anti-oxidants. Even they don't have conclusive report, by taking them won't give me any harm. Please take care of your health. No one will care for us like we do. :)

If there is any type of illness that runs in your family I think you have reason to worry. Though a stroke can be very general, all there it means is there is bleeding in the brain. For instance my mother had one called an AVM. Find out if your family members was from a similar cause if it was it may be worth researching.