Sorry Got a bit overwhelmed then and pressed the leave button Well done @maggie. It’s not easy presenting in teams

Does anyone else experience this? Since my strokes, I’ve struggled with pain, stiffness and tingling in my hands, fingers and toes. What’s strange is that it always seems to get worse around March and September, almost like clockwork. I’m wondering whether changes in the seasons or temperature might play a part. Does anyone else experience this, particularly at certain times of the year? I’d be really interested to hear your experiences.

Hi everyone, After listening to all of your feedback and all of our meetings over the last year or so we have broadened our understanding of what Stroke-Proof is about and come to see that we need to go much further than just prevention. Maggie and I are keen to write Stroke-Proof the book as a guide for Stroke survivors to help navigate the situation they find themselves in post stroke, but we need your help to get it right. We will be pulling in other professionals to help us write this and we'll need you all to tell us if what we are writing is helpful, but firstly we need to make sure we cover the correct areas. After reflecting on all that we have learned from you the below are our proposed chapters. Please let me know if these look right to you or if you think we should add or remove any sections or change the order. Part 1: The Beginning of Recovery 1. A Message of Hope - Recovery is possible - The brain can adapt and rewire - Progress often continues for months and years - Setting realistic expectations - Finding purpose after stroke 2. You're Not Alone - Stroke survivor stories - Different ages and stroke types - Lessons learned from recovery - Common emotional experiences 3. Finding Support - Stroke Association - Different Strokes - Stroke Proof - Online communities - Family and carers - When and where to seek help Part 2: Understanding What Happened 4. What Is a Stroke? - Ischaemic vs haemorrhagic stroke - TIA - What happens inside the brain - Areas of the brain and how they impact symptoms in stroke - Why symptoms vary between individuals - Dementia - the other major brain health condition  5. Tests and Investigations - CT brain - CT angiography - CT perfusion - MRI - Carotid ultrasound - Echocardiogram - Heart rhythm monitoring - Blood tests - What doctors are looking for 6. Why Did My Stroke Happen? - Causes of stroke - Blocked arteries - Atrial fibrillation - Small vessel disease - Rare causes - When no cause is found

This week instead of a tip we have added Professor Chatterjee's guide to understanding blood glucose in detail to the Classroom section of the community. Diabetes is a clear risk factor for Stroke, but even pre-diabetes and insulin resistance carry risks making this book an absolutely excellent read. Alongside this we will be workign on an audio version too which will be available soon. Please add your feedback or reflections on what you've learned below in the comments so we can support eachother in our learning.

I'm interested to share today's Stroke-Proof tip because it's an area I hadn't really thought as a risk factor before, but I know realise that it very much is! When people think about preventing stroke they think about: 🏃 Exercise 🥗 Diet 🚭 Smoking 🩸 Blood pressure 💊 Cholesterol Very few people think about their gums. Periodontal (gum) disease is a chronic inflammatory condition caused by bacteria around the teeth. Those bacteria don't always stay in your mouth. They can enter the bloodstream, increase systemic inflammation, damage blood vessels and may contribute to atherosclerosis and blood clot formation. Several large studies have found that people with periodontitis have a significantly higher risk of stroke. The latest systematic review analysed 36 studies involving more than 7.6 million people and found that periodontal disease was associated with around a 72% higher odds of stroke, with an even stronger association for ischaemic stroke. (PubMed) Fortunately... A recent systematic review found that treating periodontal disease—particularly regular professional dental scaling—was associated with a lower risk of future ischaemic stroke. (PubMed) Now, this doesn't prove that brushing your teeth prevents stroke. People with good oral hygiene often have other healthy habits too, and most of the evidence is observational. But we already know that good oral health has many benefits, and there's increasing evidence that it forms part of overall cardiovascular health. So if you're trying to become Stroke-Proof, don't stop at the gym or the kitchen. ✅ Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste ✅ Clean between your teeth every day (floss or interdental brushes) ✅ See your dentist regularly ✅ Don't ignore bleeding gums—they're common, but they're not normal. However.... Be cautiuous with broad-spectrum antiseptic mouthwashes (particularly chlorhexidine, unless specifically prescribed by your dentist).