A stroke occurs when the blood supply to your brain is cut off. Brain cells that don't receive oxygen die, which impacts your ability to function normally. A "massive" stroke simply means that a large portion of your brain was denied blood, according to Healthline.
A massive stroke commonly refers to strokes (any type) that result in death, long-term paralysis, or coma. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists three main types of stroke: Ischemic stroke, caused by blood clots. Hemorrhagic stroke, caused by ruptured blood vessels that cause brain bleeding.
A 2021 study found that about 66% of stroke victims survived past the three-year mark. 7 Survival factors included: The person's age.
The ability to recover from a stroke depends on the severity of the stroke and how quickly you get medical attention. A massive stroke can be fatal, as it affects large portions of the brain. But for many people experiencing a stroke, recovery is long, but possible.
Fortunately, the brain has an innate ability to heal itself after injury, even large injuries like a massive stroke. Through the phenomenon of neuroplasticity, healthy areas of the brain can take over the functions damaged by stroke. While the recovery process takes time and hard work, there is hope for recovery.
Cognitive symptoms like memory problems and trouble speaking. Physical symptoms such as weakness, paralysis and difficulty swallowing. Emotional symptoms like depression and impulsivity. Heavy fatigue and trouble sleeping.
How Does a Stroke Impact Life Expectancy? 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.
Hemorrhagic strokes account for about 40 percent of all stroke deaths, according to the National Stroke Association .
They happen when a blood clot blocks the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain. These blood clots typically form in areas where the arteries have been narrowed or blocked over time by fatty deposits (plaques). This process is known as atherosclerosis.
The main thing to remember is that even a massive stroke doesn't involve pain aside from the sudden headache. The numbness and weakness on one side of the body don't hurt, the vision problems aren't painful and the trouble with balancing and walking isn't painful.
Some people will experience symptoms such as headache, numbness or tingling several days before they have a serious stroke. One study found that 43% of stroke patients experienced mini-stroke symptoms up to a week before they had a major stroke.
The excess mortality rate in stroke patients was due mainly to cardiovascular diseases but also to cancer, other diseases, accidents, and suicide. The probability for long-term survival improved significantly during the observation period for patients with ischemic or ill-defined stroke.
Paralysis or numbness of the face, arm or leg on one side of the body. Problems seeing in one or both eyes, trouble walking, and a loss of balance. Now many strokes are not associated with headache, but a sudden and severe headache can sometimes occur with some types of stroke.
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.
Brainstem hemorrhage, which is the cause of respiratory and vasomotor centers dysfunction, is frequently the direct cause of sudden death caused by stroke, and not only cerebral edema, but also secondary lethal arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, or asphyxiation by dysphagia may be indirect causes of ...
Past study showed that, intracerebral hemorrhagic (ICH), a subtype of hemorrhagic stroke, predicted poor neurologic outcome of long-term disability and higher mortality as compared to ischemic stroke [5,6].
Conclusions. Left-hemispheric ischemic strokes appear to be more frequent and often have a worse outcome than their right-hemispheric counterparts. The incidence of large-vessel ischemic strokes is higher in the left middle cerebral artery distribution, contributing to these hemispheric differences.
Overall, the general prognosis of ischemic stroke is considered better than that of hemorrhagic stroke, in which death occurs especially in the acute and subacute phases [2,3].
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.
Recovery time after a stroke is different for everyone—it can take weeks, months, or even years. Some people recover fully, but others have long-term or lifelong disabilities.
Communication problems are very common after a stroke. Around one-third of stroke survivors have problems with speaking, reading, writing and understanding what other people say to them.
Most stroke patients are unaware of the warning signs of stroke and present late because they misjudge the seriousness of their symptoms. Even when patients know that they are having a stroke, most do not seek immediate medical attention.
Stroke patients can often hear, even if they can't speak, and other facts about stroke. Three things you might not know about stroke: 1. People having a stroke usually are able to hear and comprehend what's happening around them.