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Life After Stroke: Stroke Types, Causes & Prevention In Seniors
Lisa Reisman • Aug 28, 2019
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Life After Stroke
Strokes are common, and in many cases debilitating. About 800,000 people each year experience a new or recurrent stroke, and according to the American Stroke Association, the likelihood of having a stroke nearly doubles every 10 years after age 55. There are various types of strokes and side effects, and ways to handle life after you or a loved one has suffered one.
A stroke happens when blood flow to an area of the brain is cut off. These brain cells become oxygen deprived and die off, and the area of the brain containing these cells loses the abilities once controlled by the brain. There are two types of strokes, hemorrhagic and ischemic. Hemorrhagic strokes are less common, yet still responsible for 40 percent of all stroke deaths. Hemorrhagic strokes can be caused by either a brain aneurysm or a weakened blood vessel. Ischemic strokes make up the majority of strokes, and can be either thrombotic or embolic. The difference between a stroke’s side effects depends on the specific area of the brain that lost oxygen. Stokes also vary in strength—those who suffer minor strokes may only have temporary weakness in a limb, and those who have experienced major strokes may end up paralyzed on one side of their body.
It can take months, and even years to recover from a stroke. The American Stroke Society tells us it’s very possibly to have a normal life after a stroke and recover completely, but still 2/3 stroke survivors will have a disability. The NIH (National Institutes of Health)
suggest that those who have endured a stroke will need to consider ongoing care, rehabilitation, and even emotional support to cope with a new lifestyle in order to prevent more chance of recurring strokes.
Ongoing Care
Keeping your loved one’s heart healthy should become a main priority after he or she has experienced a stroke, especially in terms of preventing another one. Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet includes whole grains, dairy low in fats, lean meats, and lots of fresh vegetables. Consult his doctor or nutritionist for implementing the DASH
eating plan, or “dietary approaches to stop hypertension,” because it has been proven to help lower blood pressure and bad LDL.
A variety of medications may be prescribed to someone recovering from a stroke, and they should be taken as directed by your doctor. Anticoagulants are blood thinners, like aspirin and clopidogrel, which prevent blood clots from happening or getting worse and are commonly prescribed to stroke patients. These medications help those with carotid artery disease, which is main contributing factor in strokes. Most people taking blood thinners need to have regular blood work done to see how well the medications are working. Bleeding, however, is a common side effect with these medications and can at times be life threatening. Depending on the dosage, our blood can become too thin and if we start to bleed (internally or externally), it becomes a lot harder to stop. The warning signs to look for if your loved one is taking these medications range from having blood in her urine or stool, to increased menstrual flow, and unexplained bleeding in her mouth and gums. Another sign his blood may be too thin is if he has fallen and noticed that his skin has bruised easily— call 911 immediately if your loved one experienced any of these warning signs due to medication he has taken.
Rehabilitation
There may be an array of complications that you and your loved one may find when dealing with the after-effects of a stroke, and finding the right rehabilitation center for your loved one’s needs is an important step towards recovery. In addition, patients who suffer strokes may need to relearn basic skills like personal hygiene and verbal communication, so support from family members may be crucial in seeing progress for stroke patients outside of their rehab sessions.
Language, speech, and memory are the most important to rehabilitate post-stroke. Patients will find they have trouble putting sentences and thoughts together, and may suffer memory loss. These issues can be very frustrating, so speech and language therapists can be helpful in working to regain these skills. Paralysis, an inability to move, can be common after a stroke, and may only be the case for one side of the body. Muscle weakness heightens people’s risk for falling; regular meetings with physical or occupational therapists can help a person increase muscle mass in struggling areas of the body.
Changes in a person’s behavior and judgment are common with strokes— feelings of anxiousness and depression often create unsettling day-to-day burdens, and it can make recovering from a stroke very difficult. Encourage your loved one to communicate his thoughts to the best of his ability in order to get the help he needs. Changes in medications and dosage often provide alleviated stress; joining stroke support groups to see how others cope with their new lives may also be another option to consider and would allow a stroke survivor to make friends and stay social. Most importantly, keep in touch with loved ones who have suffered a stroke, feeling loved and supported does more for someone recovering than you think.
Support in your Area
Atlanta has a number of stroke specialists and rehabilitation centers to utilize for yourself or a loved one. Emory University has had its Comprehensive Stroke Center certification since 2013 with state-of-the-art infrastructure, staff, and training, making it one out of four hospitals in the United States with this recognition.
"This re-certification is a true testament to the entire interdisciplinary team that provides the highest level of care for our stroke patients," says Fadi Nahab, MD, medical director of the stroke programs at Emory University Hospital and Emory University Hospital Midtown and associate professor in the departments of neurology and pediatrics at Emory. "From the emergency department to interventional radiology, to the operating rooms, to the ICUs and patient floors and to rehabilitation services, Emory is a recognized leader in complex stroke care and cerebrovascular disease."
Piedmont Healthcare has been recognized for their speech pathology programs, with specialties in swallowing, voice, and general speech. The Shepard Center has been known to provide a wide range of stroke rehabilitation services as well, ranging from occupational therapy to nutritional counseling and neuropsychological assessment and counseling.
For more information on finding the proper rehabilitation services for you or a loved one, visit the National Stroke Association
website or call 1-800-STROKES for more information.
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