Ischemic stroke of the brain: a prognosis for life. Rehabilitation after a stroke

Stroke always interferes with a patient's life very rudely, disrupting the fulfillment of all his household functions, making his adjustment to life goals. After all, such people have to spend a lot of energy on constant control over health, undergo examinations, strictly observed by a doctor. And often to the end of their days to take medication. One of the main questions of the patients themselves and their relatives: "What is the prognosis for patients who underwent an ischemic stroke of the brain ?" After all, sometimes people have to re-master their basic skills: the ability to walk, talk, service themselves.

What is an ischemic stroke?

According to medical terminology, this ailment is a violation of the blood circulation of the brain, taking place in an acute form. The disease is accompanied by the death of tissues of gray matter.

The consequences may be different for patients who are diagnosed with ischemic stroke. Forecast for the life of such patients can not in most cases give even a doctor. After all, this ailment competes for primacy with myocardial infarction in the list of "killers" of people. According to statistics, exactly the two diseases mentioned above cause almost 50% of all deaths.

If you touch the consequences, then the illness in question has no equal. About 85% of patients after ischemic stroke remain disabled or die. On average, only 10% recover.

Symptomatology of the disease

Many factors affect the intensity with which the cerebral ischemic stroke proceeds. The prognosis, of course, depends on the localization and the vastness of the area of the lesion.

However, they are no less important for a favorable outcome:

• Timely provision of first aid;
• Fast delivery of the patient to the hospital;
• Correctness of rehabilitation measures.

These moments lie, as a rule, on relatives. It is on their competence and timely decisions that the prognosis for life will be for the survivors of ischemic stroke.

Therefore, let us dwell on the symptoms that signal ailment. After all, it is very important when they arise to give the patient urgent help.

The main features are:

• The appearance of strong, sharp pain in the head;
• Impaired sensory perception;
• dizziness;
• The appearance of nausea, often resulting in vomiting;
• Violation of orientation - it is difficult for the patient to restrain himself on his feet, in an upright position;
• Numbness of limbs or complete immobilization;
• A feeling of weakness in one of the body halves;
• Violation of speech, hearing, sight;
• Drowsiness, until complete loss of consciousness.

First aid

As previously noted, the adaptation of a patient after an ischemic stroke depends on the measures taken by the relatives. Therefore, in case of occurrence of the symptomatology described above, an ambulance team should be called immediately. Remember that any delay in this situation is literally like death.

If all signs indicate an ischemic stroke of the brain, the prognosis depends largely on the time through which the treatment will begin. Thus, when calling for an ambulance, be sure to describe all the signs that you observed. This will allow the dispatcher to initially send to the aid of a specialized neurological team.

Until medical help arrives, you should:

1. Patient to lay in such a way that the head was placed slightly above the body level.
2. In order to ensure rest to the patient and the influx of fresh air.
3. If a person is unconscious, you need to turn it gently to one side. Otherwise, saliva or tongue can block the windpipe.
4. Before the doctor's arrival, the patient should not be given medicines. This can seriously aggravate the patient's condition.

Causes of the disease

An ischemic stroke occurs as a result of blockage of the artery by a thrombus. The brain supply suddenly stops. Most often it occurs against the background of the following diseases:

• Atrial fibrillation ;
• atherosclerosis;
• hypertension.

In this case, the integrity of the vessel remains. However, blood flow is blocked by a thrombus or spasm.

To provoke a stroke according to the ischemic type, the prognosis of the consequences of which can be disappointing, many factors are capable. The main ones are the following:

• Stress, constant cares;
• Changes in the microclimate;
• Blood pressure jumps;
• overwork;
• overweight;
• Bad habits (craving for tobacco and alcohol);
• Jumps in blood sugar levels.

Localization of the disease

Ischemic stroke leads to very destructive consequences. As a result of blockage of the artery, the movement of blood stops. This leads to the death of a specific area of the brain. The dead region is not able to perform its basic functions. As a result, the patient may experience disorders of consciousness, speech, vision, coordination of movements, sensitivity. Partial paralysis often occurs. As a rule, a stroke damages a small area of the brain. However, the consequences are always irreplaceable. After all, all cells interact with each other.

Localization of the focus in the center of motor speech leads to a disruption in the ability to talk. Sometimes such patients become dumb. The pronunciation of only single words or simple phrases can be observed. It is noted that patients perceive another's speech normally.

Violation of blood circulation in the right hemisphere causes paresis (paralysis) in the left side of the body. Accordingly, the formed focus in the other part of the brain manifests itself with the same symptomatology on the opposite side of the patient's body.

The most dangerous place is the brain stem. It is in this area that the most important centers are located. If the patient is diagnosed with ischemic stroke, the prognosis can be quite sad. Important parts of the brain are squeezed by the oedemas. If the source of the problem can not be rectified in time, the patient may experience breathing disorders, malfunctions in the cardiac activity. Sometimes swelling can lead to a halt in the work of the above systems.

Forecast of doctors

Observing a certain symptomatology, a professional doctor can conclude what area of the brain has affected the ailment. This knowledge allows doctors to make assumptions about the course of the disease.

As a rule, the predictions after an ischemic stroke can be the following:

1. Favorable. In this case, the patient gradually restores lost abilities and functions.
2. Average. This forecast is associated with afflicted diseases. It can be diabetes, pneumonia, digestive disorders. The patient's condition improves periodically, and then worsens. Periodically, recovery is observed. Doctors do not undertake to predict the duration of treatment.
3. Adverse. This is the worst of the three options. As a rule, the lesion center covers a large area. Often, patients develop a repeated ischemic stroke. The forecast does not bode well. Statistics are such that in 70% of cases repeated strokes lead to death. The most critical are 3, 7 and 9 days after the impact. At the same time, the risk of recurrence persists for the first year.

What does the localization of the lesion site promise?

From all of the above it becomes clear that the forecast depends on many factors, including the localization of the disease.

Extensive ischemic stroke. Forecast in this form is unfavorable. After all, a fairly large area of the brain is affected. The patient often has a loss of face sensitivity, the occurrence of severe headaches, difficulty speaking, falling vision. The condition of the patient can be accompanied by loss of consciousness. This pathology is very difficult to treat. That is why if the patient is diagnosed with an extensive ischemic stroke, the forecast does not imply full recovery. To their former condition, such patients do not return.

Stem ischemic stroke. It is this species that carries, as previously noted, the greatest danger. This form of stroke is associated with the highest mortality. If we talk about the characteristic symptomatology, the patients noticeably deteriorate the coordination of movements, nausea, dizziness, spatial disorientation. Such patients fall down, lose consciousness. After that they are not able to move normally.

Cerebrospinal ischemic stroke . At the initial stages of such a variety, people experience nausea, vomiting, loss of orientation. Patients lose the ability to move normally. After a few days (from 1 to 3), the cerebellum significantly increases in size. He begins to press on adjacent tissues. Unfortunately, they are stem cells. An insidious variety is considered ischemic cerebrovascular stroke. The forecast in this case can be the most unpredictable. In such patients, paralysis of the face is clearly visible. Patients experience severe numbness. It is noted that the most common result, to which this particular ischemic stroke leads, is coma. The prognosis for this condition of the patient is the most unfavorable. You can not rule out an early death.

Rehabilitation period

For some patients, a stroke can pass almost without a trace. As a rule, this is observed with small lesions. However, most of the patients lose a lot of functions. Unilateral paralysis is the most common symptom that accompanies ischemic stroke. Rehabilitation can help the patient to return to life faster.

The recovery program is developed for each individual case. All rehabilitation measures are mandatory controlled by a neurologist. The result of this program depends on the patient's mood for cure and help from relatives.

Any rehabilitation is based on the following:

1. After a few days, when the critical stage passes, the patient is recommended to have minimal activity. In the future, therapeutic exercise is prescribed. At the same time, the consequences caused by such a disease as ischemic stroke of the brain are fully taken into account. Gymnastics is accompanied by physiotherapy procedures, massage.
2. One of the most important moments is the development of paralyzed limbs. In this case, it is recommended to carry out a light massage. And also careful bending of paralyzed joints. A lot of studies have confirmed that training of lost limbs functions favorably on their recovery. If, however, the weakened hand does not work at all, the process can be considerably delayed and, as a rule, will not bring the desired result.
3. Visual and auditory loads are very important for the rehabilitation period. The patient can offer watching TV, turn on quiet quiet music. Most patients are happy to start communication.
4. The most important factor is the psychological stimulus. The patient himself must strive to fight his illness. This attitude depends on the environment that surrounds the patient. One of the decisive factors is the attitude of relatives to the injured person.
5. The patient should be constantly supported and encouraged in the recovery process. The patient needs praise as a method of motivation to action. It is necessary to show and repeat the exercise several times until the patient fully remembers it.
6. During the psychological and physical rehabilitation, neurological and cardiac recovery is performed. These methods are the prerogative of physicians. The composition of measures depends on the stage of the patient's condition.

Features of food

For people who have suffered a stroke, there are a number of recommendations on diet. Their observance will help to exclude the possibility of a repeated attack. Patients should limit themselves in the use of salt, sugar, flour products, fatty foods. It is necessary to beware of pickled, canned products, to exclude smoked products. It is not recommended to consume eggs, mayonnaise and ketchup.

Nutritionists are advised to add a greater number of fruits and vegetables to the diet. Useful foods rich in fiber, vegetarian soups. Promotes better rehabilitation of sour-milk food. Products that are enriched with potassium are especially relevant. These are dried apricots, apricots, bananas, citrus fruits.

It should be remembered that you need to eat food in small amounts 5 times a day. As for the liquid, the doctors' verdict is 1 liter per day.

The consequences of a stroke

Unfortunately, practically for no one who has undergone ischemic stroke of the brain (the prognosis may be the most favorable), the ailment does not pass without a trace.

Often, patients remain for life a variety of consequences. Some of the common ones are:

• Disturbance of motor function. One of the most common complications. With careful and regular work, paralyzed limbs can recover slightly during the first year. It is noted that the efforts of the patients are already noticeable by 4-6 months. Adequate rehabilitation can lift the patient to his feet and teach him how to walk on his own.
• Decreased intelligence, loss of memory. Unfortunately, such a symptomatology is an integral part of the disease. In order to compensate for these processes, doctors prescribe drug therapy. It helps to improve the blood supply to the brain. All medicines are prescribed exclusively by the attending physician. As a rule, they are accepted by certain courses.
• Depressive state . This is another serious consequence. It can greatly interfere with the process of patient recovery. In this case, to bring it into a balanced and calm state, psychotherapeutic treatment is connected. It is very important for the family to have patience and help the patient to overcome depression. An excellent measure is communication with an oppressed patient. During the conversation, it is necessary to calm the patient, encourage him, inspire him to activate his actions.

Conclusion

Ischemic stroke can significantly narrow the list of human capabilities. However, it should not be an insurmountable barrier to getting satisfaction from life. A patient who survived a stroke may well continue to pursue his hobby. It is necessary to adapt our leisure time to the existing circumstances only a little.

For example, an inveterate horticulturist can plant on the windowsill wonderful flowers in pots. And the amateur to embroider, fastening the hoop, will be able to continue the work with one hand.

Occupation with your favorite business will raise the mood, will help restore. And most importantly - will switch attention from the ailment to health. Simple household tasks are the first step to recovery of the patient.