Recovery After Stroke

The Basics

Written by the doctors and editors at UpToDate пїЅ пїЅ

What happens after a person has a stroke? " пїЅ Strokes affect people in different ways. Some people who have a stroke have no lasting effects. Others lose important brain functions. For example, some people become partly paralyzed or unable to speak. пїЅ пїЅ

Here are some of the most common long-term problems that can be caused by a stroke: пїЅ пїЅ

Speech problems " пїЅ People who have a stroke sometimes lose the ability to speak or understand speech. The medical term for this is "aphasia. " пїЅ Some people might have only slurred speech. The medical term for this is "dysarthria. " пїЅ
Weakness and movement problems " пїЅ People who have a stroke sometimes have muscle weakness or paralysis of the left or right side of the body. The muscle weakness can affect the face, arm, and leg. The medical term for this is "hemiparesis. " пїЅ People who have a stroke can also have trouble walking, grasping objects, or balancing. Plus, they can lose the ability to make controlled, planned movements, even if the stroke did not cause weakness or loss of sensation. The medical term for being unable to make planned, controlled movements is "apraxia. " пїЅ
Partial loss of sensation " пїЅ People who have stroke sometimes have partial or total loss of sensation on the left or right half of their body.
Trouble eating or swallowing " пїЅ People who have a stroke sometimes have trouble swallowing. The medical term for this is "dysphagia. " пїЅ Sometimes this problem causes food to go down the wrong way and into the lungs. This can be dangerous because it can lead to lung infections, such as pneumonia. Some people need a feeding tube to deal with this problem. Others can adapt by changing the foods and liquids they eat and drink.
Problems thinking clearly or interacting with others " пїЅ People who have stroke sometimes get confused easily or have trouble staying focused. They can also have personality changes that make them react differently to others. Sometimes they have mood swings for no apparent reason. They might be sad one moment and angry the next.
Depression " пїЅ People who have a stroke also sometimes get depressed. This can make recovery even harder. Its important to get treated for depression after a stroke.
Problems with bladder control " пїЅ People who have a stroke sometimes lose bladder control or leak urine. The medical term for this is "urinary incontinence. " пїЅ It often gets better over time.

What happens during recovery from a stroke? " пїЅ During recovery, people work to regain some of the abilities they lost. Even though a part of their brain was damaged by the stroke, their brain can re-learn how to do some of the things it used to do. пїЅ пїЅ

People who lose the ability to speak can often re-learn how to speak or at least how to communicate to some degree. In the same way, people who lose the ability to walk can sometimes re-learn how to walk. (Some people need to use canes or other devices to walk.) пїЅ пїЅ

Often recovery involves treatment in a stroke "rehabilitation " пїЅ facility, also called stroke "rehab. " пїЅ In rehab, there are all kinds of medical professionals who specialize in helping people who have had a stroke. If you go to stroke rehab, the people there can: пїЅ пїЅ

Help you regain some of the abilities you lost
Give you tips on how to cope with the problems caused by the stroke

Here are just a few examples of how a rehab specialist could help you: пїЅ пїЅ

If you can no longer walk very well, a physical therapist (exercise expert) can show you ways to improve the way you walk. He or she can also recommend braces, canes, and other devices that might make it easier for you to walk.
If you can no longer swallow well, a speech and language therapist can teach you to do exercises that can improve how you swallow. He or she can also offer tips on how to cope with swallowing problems. For instance, the therapist might suggest you add powders or other ingredients to the liquids you drink, so that they are thick and less likely to go down the wrong way.
If you can no longer hold your toothbrush to brush your teeth, an occupational therapist can show you new ways of holding your brush, so that you can use it.
If you are depressed because you had a stroke, a psychiatrist (doctor who specializes in mental health) can prescribe medicines to treat depression. He or she can also talk to you about the way you feel about the stroke.

What are the chances of full recovery after a stroke? " пїЅ The chances of making a full recovery depend on a lot of factors, such as: пїЅ пїЅ

How big the stroke was
What part of the brain was damaged by the stroke
How old the person is (Younger people tend to recover better than older people.)
What other medical problems the person has (such as heart failure or cancer)
Whether the person was sick before the stroke happened
How soon the person was treated following the stroke

Scientists used to think that when a part of the brain was damaged, there was no way to recover what was lost. It turns out that is not true. The brain can recover some and adapt. The most important thing you can do to help make this happen is to stick with rehab and do all the exercises and therapies your healthcare team recommends. Also, be patient. It takes time to heal and learn new ways to cope, but work and patience can pay off. пїЅ пїЅ

All topics are updated as new evidence becomes available and our peer review process is complete. пїЅ пїЅ

This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Nov 04, 2014. пїЅ пїЅ

Topic 16266 Version 2.0 пїЅ пїЅ

Release: 22.8 - C22.206 пїЅ пїЅ

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Recovery After Stroke

The Basics

Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer

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