Stroke Symptoms, Potential Impact, and Further Information
Strokes, a leading cause of disability and death in the United States, occur when a blocked or ruptured blood vessel limits blood flow to part of the brain, causing brain cells to die. This article provides an overview of the types of strokes, their symptoms, immediate treatment, rehabilitation, and prevention.
Types of Strokes and Their Effects
There are two main types of strokes: ischemic and hemorrhagic.
- In ischemic strokes, a blood clot or other substances block a blood vessel to part of the brain, leading to a lack of oxygen and nutrients. Emergency interventions may involve dissolving or removing the clot to restore blood flow to the brain. Common long-term effects of a right side stroke typically involve impairments on the left side of the body due to the brain's contralateral control. These effects often include left-sided weakness or paralysis (hemiparesis or hemiplegia), left-sided sensory loss, visual-spatial deficits, impaired attention or neglect of the left side (left hemineglect), cognitive and perceptual impairments, emotional and behavioral changes, and more.
- Hemorrhagic strokes occur when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures or leaks blood onto the brain. Doctors work to repair the blood vessel and stop the bleeding.
Immediate Treatment
Immediate treatment aims to reduce the impact of the stroke and stop it while it is happening. Medications like a tissue plasminogen activator can be used to break up blood clots in ischemic strokes.
Rehabilitation
Recommended treatments and rehabilitation methods for stroke victims, including those with right-sided brain damage, involve multidisciplinary and individualized approaches that begin as early as possible after the stroke.
- Early and Consistent Rehabilitation: Initiation of rehabilitation during the acute or subacute stages (within days to weeks post-stroke) is crucial for optimal recovery.
- Physical Therapy: Focuses on restoring mobility, balance, muscle strength, flexibility, and preventing complications like muscle atrophy or joint stiffness. It is essential for relearning walking and other motor functions.
- Occupational Therapy: Aims to help patients regain independence by training in daily activities and improving fine motor skills, particularly for the more affected left side in right brain strokes.
- Speech Therapy: If speech or swallowing difficulties occur (more common with left brain strokes but can be present), speech therapy aids in recovery of communication and swallowing function.
- Psychological and Emotional Rehabilitation: Addresses stress, anxiety, depression, and helps improve emotional resilience, which are common after strokes.
- Innovative Neuromodulation Techniques: Emerging treatments such as non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS), peripheral nerve electrical stimulation (PES), transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS), and transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation (tVNS) show promise in enhancing motor recovery but require more large-scale clinical trials.
- Family and Caregiver Involvement: Family support is critical in encouraging consistent therapy participation and providing emotional care.
- Regular Monitoring and Goal Adjustment: Rehabilitation plans should be personalized, with goals tailored to patient progress and revisited regularly by a multidisciplinary team including neurologists, rehabilitation doctors, therapists, and nurses.
Prevention
Prevention includes therapies or treatments aimed at reducing someone's risk factors for another stroke. This involves determining and treating underlying conditions like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and atrial fibrillation. A person can also reduce their risk of stroke by maintaining a moderate weight, quitting smoking, and exercising regularly.
Recognizing Stroke Symptoms
Early signs of a stroke can include numbness or weakness in the face, leg, or arm on one side, severe headache, nausea or vomiting, confusion, memory loss, dizziness, disorientation, trouble understanding speech, slurred speech or difficulty speaking, loss of coordination, balance, or ability to walk, difficulty seeing or loss of vision.
In conclusion, the approach to stroke rehabilitation for right side brain stroke survivors involves early, tailored, and multidisciplinary therapies targeting motor, cognitive, and emotional recovery to maximize regaining function and independence. Emerging technologies like non-invasive stimulation may offer additional benefits in the future. Speaking with a healthcare professional can provide further information about an individual's risk of stroke and how to manage any existing health conditions.
- Stroke survivors who have experienced right side brain damage often encounter long-term effects such as left-sided weakness or paralysis, visual-spatial deficits, and emotional and behavioral changes.
- For optimal recovery, immediate treatment and rehabilitation methods for stroke victims should involve early and consistent rehabilitation, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, psychological and emotional rehabilitation, and family and caregiver involvement.
- Preventing another stroke requires determining and treating underlying medical-conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and atrial fibrillation, in addition to maintaining a moderate weight, quitting smoking, and regular exercise.
- In the case of stroke, neurological-disorders can present symptoms like facial numbness or weakness, severe headache, nausea or vomiting, confusion, and trouble speaking, which necessitate immediate medical attention.
