Ischemic stroke
Ischemic stroke (IS) is a cerebral infarction that occurs as a result of blood flow cessation to the brain. IS develops when the lumen of the cerebral blood vessel closes, which leads to a cessation of blood supply to the brain. Also, supply of both oxygen and nutrients, which are necessary for the normal functioning of the brain, are ceased as well.
Causes
IS can be caused by the following conditions:
- Atherosclerosis of the arteries of the head and neck
- Arterial hypertension with damage to the small cerebral arteries
- Diabetes
- Heart rhythm abnormalities with the formation of blood clots in the heart cavities
Factors, causes, prevention and other information in Section Stroke
Consequences
The brain is an extremely complex organ that controls various functions of the body. If the blood can not reach the brain regions that are responsible for functions of certain parts of the body, these parts of the body will stop functioning properly.
After an ischemic stroke, people can experience:
- Motor disorders, weakness or paralysis - this can lead to difficulties in movements, walking and coordination. Movement disorder on only one side of the body is called hemiparesis or hemiplegia.
- Swallowing disorder. Swallowing disorder can cause food and liquid not getting into the esophagus directly, but getting into the respiratory tract and lungs. This can cause severe inflammation of the lungs. Swallowing disorder can also lead to constipation and dehydration.
- Speech disorder. Problems with reproduction and understanding of speech include difficulties in reading, writing and counting. They can occur as a result of damage to the left hemisphere of the brain.
- Perception problems Even with the normal vision, the person is not able to understand what he/she sees. Perception disorder makes it difficult for a person to use everyday objects. For example, person can`t take a glass, pour water into it and then drink it.
- Cognitive disorder In this case the ability to mentally percept and process external information is violated. Clear and logical thinking is distorted, memory of the person starts to deteriorate, the ability to learn, plan and make decisions is lost.
- Behavior disorder The person can experience aggression, slow response, fearfulness, emotional instability and disorganization.
- Bladder and bowel problems ТStroke can cause a variety of different problems, resulting in either bowel or bladder dysfunction (urinary incontinence or retention, fecal incontinence).
- Psychological disorders These include mood swings, depression, irritability, episodes of laughing or crying without an evident reason. Depression is a very common problem for people who have suffered stroke. It is often accompanied by loss of appetite, episodes of laughing or crying without a reason, insomnia, low self-esteem and an increased sense of anxiety.
- Epilepsy The number of stroke patients who eventually develop epilepsy ranges from 7% to 20%.
- Pain syndrome A small number of stroke patients can develop pain episodes manifested in burning, shooting and throbbing pain, which cannot be relieved with painkillers.
Risk of Recurrent Stroke
20% of people who have suffered ischemic stroke die within the first month and about 25% of them die within the first year.
Within the next 5 years, more than half of the surviving patients suffer the second stroke, with most cases occurring in the first year after an episode.
In Russia, about 100,000 cases of recurrent strokes are registered on average each year. Six months after the stroke, disability develops in 40% of surviving patients.
Within the first 5 years, up to 85% of patients either die or remain disabled and only the remaining 15% of patients manage to recover.
How to live after Ischemic Stroke?
In Germany and other countries of the European Union, ischemic stroke is not a diagnosis that condemns people to deep disability and death.
With a detailed and in-depth diagnosis of causes of ischemic stroke, early recovery from the effects of ischemic stroke and rehabilitation, millions of people who have suffered the condition can return to their normal life.
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Induced restriction therapy has recently been actively explored and used as it effectiveness has proved itself immensely. Even though this therapy has shown to be the most beneficial in treatment of motor disorders, studies have shown that this method can be successfully used when treating other consequences of a stroke, such as, for example, aphasia.
Exercises where the patient needs to overcome some obstacle is not part of the standard rehabilitation programs for patients after a stroke. Previously it had been believed that the load on weakened muscles can lead to an increase in spasticity. Later on this issue has been studied in more detail, and it turned out that there is no evidence to support the previous statement. On the contrary, the results given by different physiotherapists suggest that workload exercises on certain groups of weakened muscles significantly increase their strength and do not lead to an increase in spasticity.
The use of a combined ultrasound method for asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis will allow to detect the presence of plaques and blood clots that contribute to the development of a stroke over a period of time.
Speech involves not only the knowledge of words, but also the ability to recognize them and to make up sentences. The left hemisphere of the brain is mostly responsible for all of those functions. The consequence of a stroke or head injury may be a complete / partial loss of speech function. Aphasia is a deterioration in the ability to use words to express thoughts. There are different types of aphasia (the classification is given below).
The consequences of a stroke drastically affect not only the patient, but also the members of his/her family. Everyone has to overcome motor, sensory and speech dysfunction. Loss of ability to communicate (dysarthria, apraxia) and language impairment (aphasia) significantly restrict the communication skills of the patient. As studies show, that communication is the key to successful rehabilitation after a stroke. That`s why many experts insist that patients immediately start restoration of speech function.
Studies have shown that the formation of calcified plaques in arteries outside the brain can lead to an increased risk of a stroke.
Scientists have proven that patients who underwent aggressive drug therapy are more likely to survive than those who had a combined stenting method.
Stroke is a serious disease in which cerebral circulation is damaged. Like all organs, the brain needs oxygen and nutrients coming through the blood. With limited access or complete absence of these nutrients brain cells begin to die, which leads to development of various diseases, that can in some cases be fatal. Symptoms vary depending on the type of a stroke. These include perturbed consciousness, dizziness, severe headaches that can be accompanied by nausea and vomiting, weakness in the hands or feet, up until paralysis. In case of stroke, patients need to receive urgent medical care, as well as to begin timely rehabilitation. The sooner the treatment is started, the less irreversible the complications are. It is important to follow preventative stroke measures to avoid sudden focal or cerebral neurological symptoms. Healthy diet, regular physical activity, quitting bad habits will significantly reduce the risk of stroke development.
Scientists have proven that depression, that can also lead to cancer, diabetes and heart disease, can be another risk factor of a stroke.
Rehabilitation helps stroke patient to relearn skills that were lost due to brain damage. For example, these skills may include coordination of movements or the phased implementation of complex actions. Also, rehabilitation teaches patients new ways to solve different problems in order overcome residual effects of stroke. Patients may need to learn how to bathe or dress using only one hand or how to effectively communicate when they have speech disorders.
