'I'm a neurologist and there are 3 common habits I avoid to reduce risk of stroke'

From getsurrey.co.uk 

A neurologist has shared three habits he personally avoids due to their potential links to stroke risk, and some are very popular and seem to relatively safe and innocent

A neurologist has revealed three simple yet common habits he steers clear of due to their potential to lead to a stroke. A stroke is a life-threatening medical emergency that happens when blood supply to part of the brain is reduced or interrupted, resulting in cell death.

The NHS states: "It can affect things like speech and movement, and take a long time to recover. A stroke needs urgent medical help in hospital because it can be life-threatening." It also cautions that the primary symptoms of a stroke can appear "suddenly". These can include facial weakness, arm weakness and slurred speech. The NHS adds: "The easiest way to remember these symptoms is the word FAST. This stands for: face, arms, speech and time to call 999."

Dr Baibing Chen is a double board certified neurologist, physician-scientist and biostatistician who uses social media to share his passion for "brain health".

In a recent video posted to TikTok, which has already been watched more than five million times, he unveiled three everyday habits he avoids to help keep his brain healthy. Speaking directly to the camera, he began: "Here are three things I don't do as a neurologist because I've seen strokes happen this way."

                                                                                                                 (Image: Luis Alvarez via Getty Images)

1. Energy drinks

The neurologist kicked off his list with energy drinks. He said: "Number one is I don't drink energy drinks. I personally stick to simple coffee in the morning because many energy drinks pack very high caffeine content, sometimes pushing or exceeding the recommended daily limit for most adults.

"Then you add other stimulants like guarana , which is another source of caffeine, and taurine, which can amplify effects.

"This combination can disrupt how blood vessels regulate themselves and can increase the risk of dangerous heart rhythms - and irregular rhythms can form clots and those clots can travel to the brain and cause a stroke.

"Besides strokes, I've also seen excessive vitamin B in these drinks leading to nerve damage over time."

2. An exercise mistake

The second concern on his list concerns a mistake people may inadvertently make while exercising.

The doctor went on: "I don't do a one rep max, or lift heavy weights, while holding my breath. This is what we call 'a heavy lift stroke'; when people lift heavy weights while holding their breath and perform a valsalva manoeuvre.

"This can then spike systolic blood pressure to extreme levels, sometimes over 400, and that is a massive surge of force on the blood vessels in the brain - and I have seen this trigger brain bleeds."

Gym enthusiasts and beginners alike can still lift weights though - they just need to be cautious and mindful when doing so.

He added: "There are safer ways to build strength with controlled breathing, exhaling during exertion, and using submaximal weights with higher reps; can get you strong without that extreme pressure spike."

3. Some yoga poses

Finally, Dr Baibing Chen - who posts online using the name Dr Bing - addressed the potential hazards that may come with certain yoga poses.

Dr Bing explained: "Yoga, overall, is fantastic for health but some poses that force the neck into extreme hyper extension or hyper flexion can be risky.

"Rare cases, which we have seen, these can lead to dissection - which is a tear in the vessel wall - and that can cause a stroke. So, staying mindful of your neck position and avoiding extreme strain is very important in yoga."

https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/health/im-neurologist-theres-common-habits-33893017?int_source=nba