Stroke Health Article

Support Groups

Additional support and resources are available from the American Stroke Association -- www.strokeassociation.org.

Expectations (prognosis)

The outlook depends on the type of stroke, how much brain tissue is damaged, what body functions have been affected, and how quickly treatment is received. Recovery may occur completely, or there may be some permanent loss of function.

Over half of the people who have a stroke are able to function independently at home.

If treatment with clot-busting drugs is successful, the symptoms of a stroke may completely go away. However, patients do not often arrive at the hospital soon enough to receive these drugs, or there are complicating medical conditions that preclude their use.

People who have an ischemic stroke (stroke due to a blood clot) have a better chance of surviving than those who have a hemorrhagic stroke (stroke due bleeding in the brain).

The risk for a second stroke is highest over the first few weeks or months after the first stroke and then begins to lessen.

Complications

• Breathing in a food into the airway (aspiration)
• Decreased life span
• Difficulty communicating
• Permanent loss of brain functions
• Permanent loss of movement or sensation in one or more parts of the body
• Problems due to loss of mobility, including joint contractures and pressure sores
• Fractures
• Malnutrition
• Muscle spasticity
• Reduced ability to function or care for self
• Reduced social interactions
• Side effects of medications

Calling your health care provider

Stroke is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment. Call your local emergency number (such as 911) if someone has symptoms of a stroke.

Prevention

To help prevent a stroke:

• Avoid fatty foods. Follow a healthy, low-fat diet.
• Do not drink more than 1 to 2 alcoholic drinks a day.
• Exercise regularly: 30 minutes a day if you are not overweight; 60 - 90 minutes a day if you are overweight.
• Get your blood pressure checked every 1 - 2 years, especially if high blood pressure runs in your family.
• Have your cholesterol checked. If you are at high risk for stroke, your LDL "bad" cholesterol should be lower than 100 mg/dL. Your doctor may recommend that you try to reduce your LDL cholesterol to 70 mg/dL.
• Follow your doctor's treatment recommendations if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and heart disease.
• Quit smoking.

Aspirin therapy (81mg a day or 100mg every other day) is recommended for stroke prevention in women under 65 as long as the benefits outweigh the risks. It should be considered for women over age 65 only if their blood pressure is controlled and the benefit is greater than the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding and brain hemorrhage. Ask your doctor if aspirin is right for you.

Your doctor may also recommend aspiring therapy or another blood thinner if you have had a transient ischemic attach (TIA) or stroke in the past or if you currently have:

• Congestive heart failure
• Irregular heart beat (such as atrial fibrillation)
• Mechanical heart valve
• Other risk factors for stroke

A type of surgery calledcarotid endarterectomy may help prevent new strokes from occurring in persons with large blockages in their neck arteries.