What is a stroke and how does it affect the body?

What happens to the body during a stroke?

A stroke is an acute condition in which theStroke. Symptoms & causes / Mayo Clinic blood supply to the brain with the subsequent development of neurological dysfunction. The most common strokeTypes of Stroke / Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ischemic or hemorrhagic. With an ischemic variant, the vessels are clogged due to thrombosis, with a hemorrhagic variant, a rupture of the vessel wall occurs.

In both cases, successive molecular-biochemical changes occur in the substance of the brain, which end in cell death and dysfunction of individual parts of the brain. As a result, a person may lose many skills, including the simplest ones. For example, he is able to lose the ability to speak, walk, or even eat.

Who can get a stroke?

Most often at riskBrain Basics: Preventing Stroke / National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke people over 55 years of age. As you age, your risk of having a stroke only increases. But cerebrovascular accidents also occur in those under 50 years old - in Russia, according to some reports.Stakhovskaya L. V., Klyuchikhina O. A., Bogatyreva M. D., Kovalenko V. V. Epidemiology of stroke in Russia according to the results of the territorial-population register (2009–2010) / Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry, such cases can be up to 30%. In total, in our country every year they face a strokeAbout Stroke / ORBI Foundation more than 450 thousand people.

In addition to age, there are other factorsTop Causes of Stroke / WebMD risk:

• hypertension (high blood pressure);
• diabetes;
• atherosclerosisStroke: Understanding Stroke / Cleveland Clinic;
• sedentary lifestyle;
• alcohol abuse;
• smoking.

Is it deadly?

Worldwide, stroke is the secondTop 10 causes of death in the world / World Health Organization the most common cause of death. In acute cerebrovascular accident, it is very importantStroke/MedicineNet decision-making speed: the faster professionals provide assistance, the higher the chances of both surviving and recovering in the future.

Here are the main signsKnow Stroke Brochure / National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke stroke, in which you need to call an ambulance:

1. The head starts to hurt.
2. A part of the body becomes numb or weakens on one side, for example, half of the face, arm or leg.
3. There are problems with vision in one eye or both at once.
4. Balance and coordination of movements are disturbed, the gait becomes unsteady.
5. The person loses consciousness.
6. Speech problems appear: it is difficult to pronounce words and understand what others are saying.

It happens that people ignore such symptoms or expect that the ailment will pass by itself. To recognize a stroke in a person in time, you can ask him to perform such actionsStroke. Symptoms & causes / Mayo Clinic:

• smile. If the smile is crooked, this can be a dangerous sign.
• Raise both hands. With a stroke, difficulties can arise - for example, one arm does not rise or falls by itself.
• Talk. For example, say a short phrase. When speech sounds slurred, this is a warning sign.

If a person finds it difficult to complete any of these tasks, it is important to seek help immediately. Medical measures are most effective in the first 3-6 hours after a stroke, so it is not necessary to postpone the consultation with a specialist.

Is there a chance for a normal life after a stroke?

According toStroke statistics / SZGMU named after I. AND. Mechnikov National Stroke Association (NASI), 31% of patients who have had this condition need in special care, 20% are not able to walk independently and only 8% can return to their previous full life. Otherwise, everything is very individual and depends on many factors. The most important of these is the amount of brain damage.

As in the issue of survival, the speed of decision-making and the timeliness of medical care are important here. In order to return to normal life, the first three months after a stroke are most effective - this is an early recovery period. At this time, you need to make maximum efforts.

You need to start recovery even in a medical institution - together with specialists, develop an individual rehabilitation plan. Someone manages to quickly regain their previous skills, while someone will need help even in order to eat. Early rehabilitation includes massage, passive gymnastics, exercises to restore physical and cognitive functions. All this, of course, does not reduce the importance of drug treatment.

What functions are affected most often?

It dependsOverview of ischemic stroke prognosis in adults / UpToDate which parts of the brain are affectedPost‑Stroke Rehabilitation Fact Sheet / National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Often, those who have had a stroke experience paralysis and paresis. The patient may be conscious, but note partial or complete immobility, movement disorders of the left or right half of the body, as well as facial and masticatory muscles. At the same time, all types of sensitivity are preserved. There are problems with gait and coordination of movements: they become uncertain and inaccurate. Sometimes control over the work of some organs, such as the bladder, is lost. Many patients have speech impairment.

50% of stroke survivors experienceDysphagia after Stroke: an Overview / US National Library of Medicine with dysphagia and have trouble swallowing. Moreover, in 11–13% of patients, such complications can persist for up to six months. Because of this, the body suffers even more, as it does not receive the necessary nutrients.

But a stroke affects a person not only physically, but also psychologically. For example, if areas of the brain responsible forProblems with memory and thinking (cognitive problems) / Stroke Association for memory and attention, it becomes difficult to concentrate and retain information in memory. All this often leads to mood disorders and even depression.Depression and anxiety after stroke / Stroke Foundation. The character of a person can change, people after a stroke can become more irritable, touchy and whiny. Psychological problems cannot be brushed aside, because depressive states can slow down recovery. Therefore, in the process of recovery, you need to contact specialists of various profiles, including psychologists.

What to do to recover after a stroke?

Returning to an active life is real, but you need to tune inStroke: the return to active life program / World Health Organization for a long job. There are many programs for recovery after a stroke - they should be selected individually. But to make it easier for both the sick person and the one who cares for him, there are general tips.

Rehabilitation is possiblePost‑Stroke Rehabilitation Fact Sheet / National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke start as soon as the condition stabilizes. For a person to start recovery fasterStroke Recovery/NHS, it is necessary to provide the necessary conditions for this.

1. Comfort

At home, for the convenience of both the patient and those who care for him, it is better to use a medical bed on which a person can take a comfortable position, even if it is difficult for him to move. Floors should be non-slip to reduce the risk of injury. Handrails and handles are needed next to the bed, in the bathroom and in the toilet, and sometimes in other areas.

2. Quality food

Replenishment of protein, energy, vitamins and minerals is necessary to maintain the body's work and recovery. Many people who have suffered a stroke cannot even swallow, and chewing is even more difficult for them. In this case, you can use a special nutritional diet.

3. Health care

Stroke is a neurological disease, but recovery from an acute condition should be monitored by a team of specialists. Each case is individual, so the choice of professionals may vary. For example, if a person has a speech disorder, work with a speech disorder specialist is required, and when a patient feels depressed, this is an occasion to consult a psychologist.

4. Physical rehabilitation

ExercisesStroke Exercises for the Full‑Body: How to Recover Mobility at Home / Flint Rehab, special training devices and entire training programs can help you regain many of the skills that improve the quality of life.

Many patients who have suffered a stroke require verticalizers for rehabilitation - devices that help them learn to stand up and move independently. To restore stability in space, it is necessary to perform exercises on unstable supports, such as fitballs or BOSU platforms. And if some part of the body does not function, then you need to try to develop it.

Even ordinary household activities can be turned into exercises. For example, after a stroke, it can be difficult to turn a doorknob, open a bottle cap, or pour water into a glass. Training these processes will help a person quickly regain skills.

5. Communication

Since speech functions often suffer from a stroke, the communication of a sick person with others is difficult. This is not only inconvenient, but also exacerbates an already difficult psychological state. Of course, there are now high-tech speech synthesizers and systems that recognize eye movements to control a computer, but they are not available to everyone.

Other methods, such as word cards, can be used to start rehabilitation. At the start, you can communicate using simple options - the inscriptions "Yes" and "No", and then increase the complexity of communication and add leaflets with the names of specific items to daily work.

Does it take long to recover?

Rehabilitation will take at least three months, but sometimes the recovery process stretches for a year and a half or even more.Post‑Stroke Rehabilitation Fact Sheet / National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. But even after this time, it is not worth throwing exercises and medical support. First, such procedures can help maintain a stable condition and not provoke the risk of recurrent strokes. Secondly, rehabilitation allows you to gradually improve the quality of life, even if it takes a long time.

INFORMATION FOR PERSONS WITH NUTRITIONAL INSUFFICIENCY. THE PRODUCT OF SPECIALIZED THERAPEUTIC FOOD IS NOT A DIETARY SUPPLEMENT AND A MEDICINE. THERE ARE CONTRAINDICATIONS, A SPECIALIST'S CONSULTATION IS REQUIRED BEFORE USE.