How can you prevent a stroke? “Early Recognizing Symptoms and a Healthy Lifestyle”

Employees of electronics manufacturer Televic are doing a team building activity and learn through riddles and assignments what the symptoms are of a stroke. Not unimportant to know this at your workplace, because you can get a stroke anywhere. “Every day, 52 Belgians contract a cerebral thrombosis. The clot in a brain blood vessel often causes continued complaints,” says Peter Vanacker, neurologist at AZ Groeninge.

“Rehabilitate for the rest of your life”

Conny Labeeuw and Lut Priem also had a stroke themselves. They set up a patient group twelve years ago, because they needed a place to share this traumatic event and its consequences with fellow sufferers. There was also a meeting in Meulebeke today.

“My fine motor skills have been affected. I had to relearn how to write, but now I do almost everything with the computer because it just doesn’t work anymore. After a stroke you rehabilitate for the rest of your days,” says Conny. That is why guidance and follow-up is very important. But according to stroke coach Anja Lorrez, a healthy life can already prevent 80 percent of strokes: “Living healthy means working on the risk factors: not smoking, drinking less alcohol, eating a healthy diet.” Other risk factors include obesity and diabetes.