having a heart attack too.
RELATED: 5 Signs You’ve Already Had A Stroke and Didn’t Know It
Why Black People Need To Talk To Their Doctors Right Now
When it comes to strokes, the statistics for Black Americans are fairly dire. Black people are at a higher risk of having strokes than other ethnicities. Additionally, Black men are 70 percent more likely to die from stroke complications than others while Black women are at a 30 percent higher risk.
Some factors that affect this outcome are underlying conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity. To make matters worse, if you have a family history of strokes or have had strokes before, you’re more likely to have them. Given that many Black people have had strokes – especially silent ones – you could be at a higher risk than you realize.
The best thing to do is talk to your doctor about getting a thorough assessment. It’s difficult to diagnose a silent stroke without a brain scan so you should ask about getting one. These scans can tell your doctor if you’ve had a silent stroke as well as how many you have had. You can then work on preventing others.
Silent strokes affect hundreds of thousands of Americans each year. However, it’s believed that isn’t the final number because the symptoms of a silent stroke are easy to miss or ignore. If you’ve experienced any of the ones listed here, though, you need to talk to your doctor immediately before things get any worse.