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.
Lie on affected side, then position affected shoulder forward, supporting entire arm on bed. Affected leg should be straight, with knee slightly bent. Place unaffected leg on a pillow for support.
A stroke can cause dizziness, difficulty controlling movement, even paralysis. Keep stroke victims on their side with the head slightly elevated to promote blood flow. It may slow the process.
While the brain normally uses 20% of your total energy, that percentage increases during stroke recovery. This means the brain has less energy left to keep you alert and awake. Aside from helping the brain heal, deep sleep also offers other, fantastic benefits to stroke survivors.
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.
Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is a thrombolytic. tPA improves the chances of recovering from a stroke. Studies show that patients with ischemic strokes who receive tPA are more likely to recover fully or have less disability than patients who do not receive the drug.
As you begin to recover, you might feel that your behaviour changes or improves. You may start feeling better physically and emotionally. But some changes will be long term. You are still the same person, but a stroke may change the way you respond to things.
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.
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. Some signs point to physical therapy.
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.
Previous studies have found that laying patients flat in the 24 hours after an acute ischaemic stroke may improve recovery and reduce disability by increasing blood flow through the main arteries to the brain.
Two-thirds of stroke survivors have a condition known as sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), which is characterized by abnormal breathing patterns that interrupt your sleep during the night. As a result of SDB, you may be very sleepy during the day and have more difficulty concentrating or solving problems.
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.
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.
Fortunately, if you participate in regular rehabilitation, the outlook is positive by the 6 month mark. Studies show that about 65-85% of stroke patients will learn to walk independently after 6 months of rehabilitation.
The practice of ≥24 hours of bed rest after acute ischemic stroke thrombolysis is common among hospitals, but its value compared to shorter periods of bed rest is unknown.
Because walking is such an important element of day-to-day functioning, recovering functionality in the leg is the central priority for recovering from a stroke. The arm, though, can be left to do little to nothing for the remainder of the survivor's life.
The short answer is yes; the brain can heal after acute trauma from a stroke or brain injury, although the degree of recovery will vary. The reason the brain can recover at all is through neuroplasticity, sometimes referred to as brain plasticity.
Driving after a stroke
If you have had a stroke or TIA, you cannot drive for 1 month. Whether you can return to driving depends on what long-term disabilities you may have and the type of vehicle you drive.
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.