What to Expect After a Stroke

Strokes can happen at any time, and although they are more common with senior citizens, this doesn’t mean that younger people don’t suffer from them as well. It’s important that when someone is having a stroke, they receive immediate medical attention, as it is a life-threatening condition that cuts off your blood supply to part of your brain.

The sooner medical attention is received, the less damage a stroke is likely to have on an individual. Even if a stroke is dealt with quickly, there is still a recovery period afterward that, depending on the severity of the situation, can be full of challenges and can take months. Below are a few things you can expect to deal with after a stroke.

Cognitive Difficulty

Suffering from memory loss or being confused about your surroundings is common in people who have had a stroke. They might also have trouble speaking or with other forms of communication. This is because a stroke can interfere with how your brain organizes information, and it can take some time for things to return to normal. In some cases, there may be ongoing cognitive problems if the stroke is severe.

Physical Limitations

It makes sense that if the brain has been affected in such a way, a person suffering from a stroke will have some physical limitations as a result. Speaking might be difficult due to muscle weakness, and confusion, and walking or holding items might be a challenge as well.

A stroke might also make it hard for a patient to swallow, which is why investing in some food thickeners like Simply Thick could be a good idea, as this will make food and drink easier to consume.

Treatment Options

There are many rehabilitative treatments available for stroke patients, including physio and occupational therapy. A patient might also need speech and language therapy to help them regain their ability to communicate verbally.

New treatments for stroke recovery are being looked at all the time, such as NIBS, or non-invasive brain stimulation, which uses low electrical currents to stimulate different areas of the brain that might have been affected by the stroke.

Potential Setbacks

Although a patient might have been making progress with their rehabilitation, it’s important to be prepared for any possible setbacks that may occur on the road to recovery.

Developing other illnesses such as pneumonia or a heart attack are common, or even suffering from a second stroke. These circumstances will make recovery longer, but you must stay positive and be patient.

Emotional Support

Having a stroke is not only tough on your physical health but your mental health as well. It’s not just your cognitive abilities but your emotional well-being.

Facing a long road to recovery is no easy feat, so getting support from mental health services alongside your other therapies is a good idea, especially if you’re feeling depressed or anxious about what the next steps will be.

Strokes are not uncommon, and a lot of people survive them and make a full recovery. It’s important to stay positive after a stroke and be prepared for what comes next.