What Is A Stroke?
For the brain to function, It needs a constant supply of blood, The blood carries vital nutrients and oxygen to the brain.
A stroke happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off and brain cells are damaged and die.
Strokes are sudden and have an immediate effect.
Symptoms Of A Stroke?
You can recognise a stroke using the FAST test:
FACIAL weakness: Can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped?
ARM weakness: Can the person raise both arms and keep them there?
SPEECH problems: Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?
TIME to call 999.
If a person fails any one of these tests, get help immediately by dialling 999. Inform the 999 operator that you suspect somebody may have had a stroke. Tell them which elements of the FAST test could not be completed and if you know, when these symptoms began.
A speedy response can help reduce the damage to a person's brain and improve their chances of a full recovery.
A delay in getting help can result in long-term disabilities or even death.
Don't ignore temporary symptoms
If symptoms disappear within 24 hours, the person may have had a Transient ischaemic attack (TIA), which is sometimes called a mini-stroke.
A TIA is still a medical emergency, because it can lead to a major stroke.
Recovery and Rehabilitation
Many stroke survivors are likely to see a significant improvement of their symptoms during their stay in hospital. Some patients may be discharged from an acute hospital setting and transferred to a rehabilitation unit. This will enable them to receive intensive rehabilitation from a range of professionals including speech, physio and occupational therapy.
There is no set recovery/rehabilitation timescale following a stroke. Your long term rehabilitation will very much depend upon the type and severity of your stroke.
Common problems after stroke:
There are a range of longer-term problems that a stroke survivor may continue to face after they have left hospital. These include:
Long Term Outlook
Stroke affects everybody differently, and it is impossible to say how much of a recovery will be made.
Some stroke survivors experience the most dramatic recovery during their stay in hospital. Others might continue to improve over a longer time, sometimes over a number of years.
Rehabilitation is about" regaining as much function as possible"and living as independently as possible"Rehabilitation should not only be deemed as successful if a person has returned to their "pre- stroke" functionality. A successful rehabilitation, might enable a stroke survivor to walk using a stick as opposed to a walking frame or using a wheelchair.
Rehabilitation might also mean helping you to acquire new skills or relearn old ones as well as, helping you adapt to the limitations caused by your stroke. Alternatively, it might mean helping you find social, emotional and practical support
For the brain to function, It needs a constant supply of blood, The blood carries vital nutrients and oxygen to the brain.
A stroke happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off and brain cells are damaged and die.
Strokes are sudden and have an immediate effect.
Symptoms Of A Stroke?
You can recognise a stroke using the FAST test:
FACIAL weakness: Can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped?
ARM weakness: Can the person raise both arms and keep them there?
SPEECH problems: Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?
TIME to call 999.
If a person fails any one of these tests, get help immediately by dialling 999. Inform the 999 operator that you suspect somebody may have had a stroke. Tell them which elements of the FAST test could not be completed and if you know, when these symptoms began.
A speedy response can help reduce the damage to a person's brain and improve their chances of a full recovery.
A delay in getting help can result in long-term disabilities or even death.
Don't ignore temporary symptoms
If symptoms disappear within 24 hours, the person may have had a Transient ischaemic attack (TIA), which is sometimes called a mini-stroke.
A TIA is still a medical emergency, because it can lead to a major stroke.
Recovery and Rehabilitation
Many stroke survivors are likely to see a significant improvement of their symptoms during their stay in hospital. Some patients may be discharged from an acute hospital setting and transferred to a rehabilitation unit. This will enable them to receive intensive rehabilitation from a range of professionals including speech, physio and occupational therapy.
There is no set recovery/rehabilitation timescale following a stroke. Your long term rehabilitation will very much depend upon the type and severity of your stroke.
Common problems after stroke:
There are a range of longer-term problems that a stroke survivor may continue to face after they have left hospital. These include:
- Physical pain
- Weakness or paralysis, usually on one side of their body (hemiplegia)
- Poor balance
- Difficulty swallowing
- Tiredness or difficulty sleeping
- Problems understanding other people or struggling to find words (aphasia)
- Difficulty with speaking, reading or writing
- Eyesight problems, which can cause clumsiness or seemingly odd behaviour
- Difficulty with mental processes, including memory loss and an inability to concentrate or make decisions
- Bladder and bowel problems
- Emotional problems, such as depression, anger, anxiety, sadness and lack of confidence
- Feeling too much or too little sensation (for example becoming sensitive to colour or light or not feeling pain from heat or sharp objects).
Long Term Outlook
Stroke affects everybody differently, and it is impossible to say how much of a recovery will be made.
Some stroke survivors experience the most dramatic recovery during their stay in hospital. Others might continue to improve over a longer time, sometimes over a number of years.
Rehabilitation is about" regaining as much function as possible"and living as independently as possible"Rehabilitation should not only be deemed as successful if a person has returned to their "pre- stroke" functionality. A successful rehabilitation, might enable a stroke survivor to walk using a stick as opposed to a walking frame or using a wheelchair.
Rehabilitation might also mean helping you to acquire new skills or relearn old ones as well as, helping you adapt to the limitations caused by your stroke. Alternatively, it might mean helping you find social, emotional and practical support