If you get to the hospital within 3 hours of the first symptoms of an ischemic stroke, you may get a type of medicine called a thrombolytic (a “clot-busting” drug) to break up blood clots. Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is a thrombolytic. tPA improves the chances of recovering from a stroke.
Some examples include being physically active, doing yoga, stretching and relaxation exercises, eating a healthy diet and getting enough rest. Physical activity can clear your mind, reduce tension and boost your energy.
The most rapid recovery usually occurs during the first three to four months after a stroke, but some survivors continue to recover well into the first and second year after their stroke.
One of the most important things to do after stroke — and never stop doing until you're reached your fullest recovery — is rehab exercise. Rehab exercise helps rewire the brain and improve mobility long-term. When patients fail to do rehab exercises, their mobility may deteriorate and cause a regression.
To recap, your best choices are hydrating beverages that contain minimal calories, sugar or salt. Reach for water, coffee or tea most often. And keep a water bottle handy – the visual cue reminds you to keep sipping.
Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a prevalent symptom among stroke survivors. This symptom is an independent risk factor for stroke and may reduce stroke survivors' quality of life, cognitive functioning, and daytime functional performance.
Give yourself plenty of time to recover from your stroke. It can take many months before post-stroke fatigue starts to lift. Accepting that it takes time to improve can help you to cope better. Find out how much you can do in a day and stick to it.
The initial recovery following stroke is most likely due to decreased swelling of brain tissue, removal of toxins from the brain, and improvement in the circulation of blood in the brain. Cells damaged, but not beyond repair, will begin to heal and function more normally.
HOUSTON -- Keeping the head elevated is the favored head position for acute stroke patients, but some studies have indicated that lying flat may improve recovery.
You or your loved one may experience feelings of irritability, forgetfulness, carelessness or confusion. Feelings of anger, anxiety or depression are also common. The good news is many disabilities resulting from stroke tend to improve over time. Likewise, behavioral and emotional changes also tend to improve.
Even after surviving a stroke, you're not out of the woods, since having one makes it a lot more likely that you'll have another. In fact, of the 795,000 Americans who will have a first stroke this year, 23 percent will suffer a second stroke.
Regarding the duration of fatigue after stroke, acute fatigue can last up to 6 months, whereas the chronic type can persist in 40% of patients after 2 years. Another study reported fatigue to be still present in one-third of patients up to 6 years after stroke onset.
Left-brain stroke and communication difficulties
When communicating with a stroke survivor who has communication problems (aphasia), it is helpful to: Be patient. Eliminate distractions. Turn off the TV, limit extraneous noise.
Some movement and relaxation activities like yoga, Zumba or meditation are often available at leisure centres. These can be a good way to get moving after a stroke. They can also help you feel good and improve your mood.
Many stroke survivors experience overwhelming fatigue, both physically and mentally. Symptoms can include difficulty with self-control, emotions and memory. Some report feeling tired even after a good night's sleep. Others say they feel tired when they perform a task requiring physical or mental focus.
Quality sleep has many benefits, especially for stroke survivors. Getting a good night's sleep supports neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to restructure and create new neural connections in healthy parts of the brain, allowing stroke survivors to re-learn movements and functions.
Driving after a stroke
Whether you can return to driving depends on what long-term disabilities you may have and the type of vehicle you drive. It's often not physical problems that can make driving dangerous, but problems with concentration, vision, reaction time and awareness that can develop after a stroke.
The stroke recovery process is long and can come with many challenges, including the feeling that symptoms are getting worse instead of better. However, know that regression after stroke is common and often temporary. This can be impacted by factors such as new medications, schedule changes, or excess fatigue.
Although just 10% of people fully recover from a stroke, 25% have only minor impairments and 40% have moderate impairments that are manageable with some special care.
Evidence from observational studies suggests higher potassium intake is associated with a 24% lower risk of stroke. They conclude that increased potassium intake is 'potentially beneficial' to most people who have normal kidney function for the prevention and control of high blood pressure and stroke.
“The biggest things to cut back on are sugar, salt, highly processed foods, saturated and trans fats, and fried foods, as well as snacky-type foods,” says Chen, referring to packaged snack foods, including pretzels and chips.
Studies examining the association between coffee and stroke have had mixed results. While most of the evidence seems to indicate that coffee can actually help reduce the risk of stroke, it can also increase stroke risk in people with certain conditions.