After a stroke, a person may have several mild or severe sequelae, depending on the region of the brain affected, as well as how long that region has not received blood. The most common sequel is loss of strength, which can eventually lead to difficulty walking or talking, which can be temporary or last a lifetime.
To reduce limitations caused by stroke, physiotherapy, speech therapy and cognitive stimulation may be necessary with the help of a physical therapist, speech therapist or nurse to gain more independence. and recover, because initially the person may rely much more on another person to perform daily tasks, such as bathing or eating.
The following is a list of the most common aftermath in people who have had a stroke:
Difficulty walking, lying down or sitting is due to loss of strength, muscles and balance on one side of the body, with the arm and leg on one side of the body paralyzed, a situation known as hemiplegia.
In addition, the sensitivity of the affected arm or leg may also decrease, increasing the risk of the person falling and being injured.
After a stroke, the face may become asymmetrical, with a crooked mouth, a wrinkle-free forehead, and an eye that falls on only one side of the face.
Some people may also have difficulty swallowing food, whether solid or liquid, called dysphagia, which increases the risk of suffocation, so it is necessary to adapt food to each person’s ability to ingest them, preparing small soft foods, or using thickeners. to improve the consistency of meals. In addition, the person can see and hear worse from the side that has the changes.
Many people have trouble speaking, have a very low tone, can’t say a few words completely or even completely lose the ability to speak, making it difficult to interact with family and friends.
In these cases, if the person can write, preference can be given to written communication. Also, many people end up developing sign language to be able to communicate with their loved ones.
Urinary and fecal incontinence is common because the person may lose sensitivity to identify when they want to go to the bathroom, and it is recommended to wear a diaper to be more comfortable.
Confusion after a stroke is also a relatively common side effect. This confusion includes behaviors such as difficulty understanding simple commands or recognizing familiar objects, not knowing what they are used for or how they are used.
In addition, depending on the affected brain area, some people may also experience memory loss, which ends up hindering a person’s ability to orient themselves in time and space.
People who have had a stroke are at higher risk of developing severe depression, which can be caused by a hormonal change influenced by brain damage, but also by difficulty living with the limitations imposed by the stroke.
To reduce the limitations of a stroke and recover some damage caused by the disease, it is essential to deal with a multidisciplinary team, even after hospital discharge, some therapies that can be used are:
Treatment should be started as soon as possible while you are still in the hospital and kept in rehabilitation clinics or at home, and should be done daily so that the person can regain greater independence and capacity. lifetime.
Hospital stay time depends on the severity of stroke, however, in most cases it is at least a week in the hospital and can be kept for a month in a rehabilitation clinic. Also, at home, it is necessary to continue to do the treatment to reduce the long-term consequences.