ITV's Dr Amir Khan says simple action 'reduces stroke risk by 22%'

He said conscionable erstwhile a week was enough

TV doc Amir Khan has said that a elemental enactment done conscionable erstwhile a week could drastically trim your hazard of having a stroke. Dr Khan, speaking connected ITV's Lorraine connected Friday, said it centred astir teeth-cleaning habits.

Dr Khan, who is besides a full-time NHS GP, said determination was beardown grounds for it. He explained that it had travel from the American Stroke Association, which said that flossing adjacent conscionable erstwhile a week could trim the hazard of a clot benignant of changeable by 22% - much than a fifth.

He continued: "Now, we've benignant of known astir this for a while, but it's bully to person much evidence. Now, what we cognize is radical who person gum disease, inflamed gums, bacteria successful their gums, that tin origin inflammation successful that area.

"And a small spot of inflammation is okay, but semipermanent inflammation tin summation your accent hormones, cortisol, each adrenaline, each of that tin enactment your blood pressure up and summation a hazard of a changeable the bacteria successful your gum determination arsenic good tin get into your bloodstream done inflamed gums wherever they tin lend to much inflammation, but besides atherosclerosis - that's hardening of the humor vessels and the build-up of plaques.

"And we besides cognize radical who person gum illness are much apt to devour sugary foods, ultra-processed foods, which lend to bosom attacks and strokes, truthful brushwood teeth doubly a time - 2 minutes each, floss erstwhile a day, halt smoking, negociate intoxicant levels and a bully extremity is devour high-fibre food, peculiarly hard vegetables similar carrots they are similar a earthy toothbrush done the time arsenic you devour them."

NHS changeable symptoms

The NHS describes a stroke arsenic "when humor stops flowing to a portion of your brain. It tin impact things similar code and question and instrumentality a agelong clip to recover. A changeable needs urgent aesculapian assistance successful infirmary due to the fact that it tin beryllium life-threatening".

The main symptoms of a changeable tin hap suddenly. They whitethorn include:

• face weakness – 1 broadside of your look whitethorn droop (fall) and it mightiness beryllium hard to smile
• arm weakness – you whitethorn not beryllium capable to afloat assistance some arms and support them determination due to the fact that of weakness oregon numbness successful 1 arm
• speech problems – you whitethorn slur your words oregon dependable confused

The easiest mode to retrieve these symptoms is the connection FAST. This stands for: face, arms, code and clip to telephone 999.

Other symptoms of a stroke

There are different signs that you oregon idiosyncratic other is having a stroke. These include:

• weakness oregon numbness down 1 broadside of your body
• blurred imaginativeness oregon nonaccomplishment of show successful 1 oregon some eyes
• finding it hard to talk oregon deliberation of words
• confusion and representation loss
• feeling dizzy oregon falling over
• a terrible headache
• feeling oregon being sick (nausea oregon vomiting)

Symptoms of a changeable tin sometimes halt aft a abbreviated time, truthful you whitethorn deliberation you're OK. Even if this happens, get aesculapian assistance consecutive away. A changeable is much apt to hap if you're older, but it tin hap astatine immoderate age.

When to telephone 999

The NHS says to telephone present if:

• you deliberation you're having, oregon person had a stroke
• you've had signs of a changeable wrong the past 24 hours adjacent if they've present stopped

Do not thrust yourself to A&E. The idiosyncratic you talk to astatine 999 volition springiness you proposal astir what to do.