Learn to relax. Take a relaxation course, try deep (abdominal) breathing, learn to meditate, try yoga, tai chi or a massage. Learn to breathe deeply. Breathing correctly is central to stress reduction.
Puzzles and games – jigsaws, crosswords, sudoku, playing board games or computer games. Reading – books or newspapers or magazines. Needlecraft – books, newspapers or magazines (these may be available in different formats such as large print or audio). Sport and physical activity – watching or taking part.
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.
Depending on the location and extent of brain tissue affected due to your stroke, you may have different vision issues, such as reading problems, poor visual memory and decreased depth perception and balance. Vision is more than just sight. It's the process of your brain that derives meaning from what you see.
Getting to the ER as quickly as possible is perhaps the most important part of managing a stroke because brain tissue can die at a rapid pace. Statistics show that the initial 10–20 minutes of a stroke plays a crucial role in deciding the overall quality and chance of survival.
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.
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.
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.
Fruits: Eat a variety of fresh, frozen or dried fruits each day. Dairy: Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy foods, or a variety of non-dairy calcium-rich foods each day. Protein: Choose low-fat or lean meats, poultry; and remember to vary your choices with more beans, peas, nuts, seeds and fish sources.
Overall, studies have demonstrated that music therapy in rehabilitation of stroke can help improve dysphagia, enhance the effect of limb motor exercise training, promote speech function recovery, and improve cognitive impairment.
Aphasia doesn't affect intelligence. Stroke survivors remain mentally alert, even though their speech may be jumbled, fragmented or hard to understand.
Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body. Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or difficulty understanding speech. Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes. Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or lack of coordination.
Despite the likelihood of making a full recovery, life expectancy after stroke incidents can decrease. Unfortunately, researchers have observed a wide range of life expectancy changes in stroke patients, but the average reduction in lifespan is nine and a half years.
After six months, improvements are possible but will be much slower. Most stroke patients reach a relatively steady state at this point. For some, this means a full recovery. Others will have ongoing impairments, also called chronic stroke disease.
Walking outside or on a treadmill, stationary cycling, recumbent cross training and many other forms of exercise that get your heart pumping are extremely beneficial for stroke recovery.
The Role of Sleep in Stroke Recovery
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.
Symptoms of Prosopagnosia After Stroke
In severe cases, a survivor with prosopagnosia can't recognize familiar faces after stroke – even the faces of close friends and family. Other individuals may have trouble distinguishing between two unknown faces, or even between a face and an object.