Review of "What You Must Know About Strokes," by Amytis Towfighi and Laura J. Stevens

 

Review of

What You Must Know About Strokes, by Amytis Towfighi and Laura J. Stevens ISBN 9780757004834

Five out of five stars

How to avoid and recover from a crippling medical event

 Putting the current Covid pandemic aside, medical science has excelled at reducing the instances of diseases of childhood and the young adult from being fatal. This has meant that a higher percentage of people suffer from medical events that are based on an aging body. One of the most common and debilitating is the stroke, because it damages the brain. It is the third leading cause of death in the U. S. and the leading cause of serious long-term disability.

 Fortunately, there are many lifestyle changes that can be implemented to avoid a stroke, most of which are consistent with other health issues, namely proper diet and exercise. Smoking is another risk factor. Furthermore, since that which cannot be avoided must be endured, this book also covers recovery and rehabilitation tactics. There is a very positive note in this area, largely based on the incredible ability of the brain to heal itself. This plasticity can be driven by proper rehab tactics that are both physical and mental exercises.

 Given the extensive consequences of strokes in the population, this book serves an extremely valuable purpose, more in the recovery rather than in the prevention. This is not a flaw in the book, for there is a great deal of prevention information. It is due to the fact that humans seem to posses an inherent, “It won’t happen to me,” genetic component. Yet it does and since most adults have an intimate companion, there is some excellent material on what can and should be done in caring for a stroke victim.