All About Natural Health And Wellness

The only way around is through it

- Robert Frost

Robert Frost had it right. You can’t simply walk around a stroke to survive. You can’t tiptoe around it. If you suffer from a stroke, you have to learn to walk through your disability to recovery to the best extent possible. To walk through, you must learn what to expect following a stroke. To understand what life is like after a stroke, it helps to first understand what the more common immediate effects are of a stroke.

The effects of a stroke will vary from person to person, depending on the severity of their stroke, and their overall health and ability to heal. Remember just as each patient will suffer differing effects, each will also recover differently. The faster you understand this, the more accepting you will find you are of your condition and ability to overcome common challenges. It is also helpful for friends, family and caregivers to understand what you are going through following a stroke.

By providing them this information, they will have a better understanding of how to help you and better empathize with your situation. Most Common Effects Following A Stroke Many organizations, including the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (also called the NIN) and the American Stroke Association, agree that some effects are common among most stroke victims. These effects are listed below.

Paralysis that may affect a part of the body (like an arm or a leg) or a whole side of the body, including the face. This paralysis may be permanent, though some patients recover full or partial mobility in parts of the body affected by stroke. Weakness in part of the body, on the whole side of a body or in a limb. Sometimes physical therapists can help strengthen the body through specific treatments to help reduce the effects weakness has on one’s quality of life. Painful spasms and stiffness of the muscles, or frequent aching and twitching of these muscles.

This is one of the most difficult long-term effects of stroke many patients must overcome. Difficulty speaking or enunciating or difficulty understanding speech. For example, a patient may know what the right words are and want to communicate, but may not have the ability to do so vocally or in writing. Transient or constant feelings of numbness, tingling or pain in different locations throughout the body. A survivor may experience this for a short time, or for years following their stroke.

Difficulty swallowing or eating. Sometimes this can lead to fatal circumstances including malnutrition. Often doctors will try to address this by providing an alternative source of nutrition if there is a good chance for recovery. Urinary or bowel incontinence. This may be transient or permanent.

Emotional distress, including anxiety and depression. This will often manifest immediately following a stroke, and may also manifest among people caring for a stroke survivor. It is important doctors treat depression and anxiety as well as the physical side-effects stroke has on a survivor. Excessive fatigue. This can result from the constant tightening of muscles in the body, or attempts at healing and recovery.

Difficulty balancing, which may lead to trouble walking or falls (which can lead to further injury). Physical therapy is a commonly used approach to address this side-effect of stroke. A condition called “claw toe” where the toe curls resulting from muscle imbalances in the body. This condition may become permanent or difficult to recover from. Constant pain throughout the body, which can be difficult to address or understand. A patient may not have the ability to vocalize or articulate their pain in the early weeks following stroke, so efforts should be made to ascertain a survivor’s level of pain and establish appropriate treatments to reduce discomfort.

Fine motor skill deterioration, to the point where one may have trouble picking up small (or even larger) items. These effects can sometimes be reduced through routine rehabilitation and therapy, but may take some time to recover from. Limited ability to communicate because of damage to learning centers or communication centers of the brain. Some patients may permanently lose the ability to learn new information or communicate at varying levels of complexity.

Sensation that noises and actions are overwhelming, which can lead to greater depression or anxiety. Doctors may treat this with various medications to try to improve a survivor’s comfort and ability to heal. Again, it is important to note that not everyone will experience all of the effects listed above. The extent to which a survivor experiences effects of stroke depend largely on the severity of their stroke, their genetics, their individual health status and other important factors.

Statistics On Life After A Stroke

The symptoms and effects of stroke listed in the previous section do not affect all people the same. Remember that some people, as much as 10 percent of all patients will experience a full or almost full recovery following a minor strokeiii. Still others will experience moderate to serious impairment that lasts indefinitely, up to 40 percent according to the NIN. There is behavioral, physical and emotional rehabilitation however, that can help patients and caregivers cope with these effects. We will talk more about rehabilitation in the next section. Roughly one quarter of stroke victims will experience minor problems, which may include muscle weakness or some speech difficulty. Some people are affected so severely they may need long-term care in a designated facility. The NIN reports roughly 15 percent of patients may die from stroke, or be at risk for a second or third stroke, which is why prevention of recurrent strokes is very important. Rehabilitation will depend on many factors, including how severe the stroke is and what areas of the body are affected. The more damage to the brain, the more likely an individual is to suffer from physical and communication or behavioral symptoms.

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To your good health,
Joe
www.allaboutstrokes.com

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