It is estimated that every year 795,000 people in America will experience a stroke. This is a serious and potentially life-threatening medical condition that requires immediate medical assistance. A stroke can occur due to two main reasons. Firstly, a hemorrhage can happen in the blood vessels that supply oxygen and blood to the tissues in the brain. The other type of stroke is where a build-up of fatty deposits in the blood vessels blocks them and cuts off the supply to parts of the brain.
In both cases, a stroke can cause paralysis to the body (often down one specific side), problems with speech, drooping of the facial muscles on one side, and difficulties in swallowing. In this article, some of the common treatments and interventions for patients who have experienced a stroke will be discussed.
Rapid assessment and transport to an emergency medical center
When a stroke is suspected, it is absolutely vital that a bystander or relative who witnesses the event calls the emergency services and requests an emergency ambulance response. As previously mentioned, strokes are a life-threatening emergency and will require immediate medical assistance.
Once a paramedic crew has arrived on the scene, they will assess the patient to confirm a diagnosis of stroke. This is commonly achieved by performing a FAST test on the patient. The paramedic or medical professional will look at the patient’s face and note if it droops to one side (due to loss of muscle tone following a stroke). They will then assess the patient’s arms, as stroke patients will often not be able to raise both their arms effectively after suffering a stroke.
The final test is to assess the patient’s speech. Patients who experience a stroke commonly have problems speaking and may slur their words. Finally, the key step is to rapidly transport the patient to an emergency department or dedicated stroke center.
Physio and speech therapy
After the patient has been successfully stabilized in the hospital and is no longer critically ill, they will need various forms of therapy to improve their chances of making a full recovery. Paralysis is a common symptom in stroke patients, and it may take weeks or even months to restore the functioning and movement of various limbs; in some circumstances, a full recovery will not be possible.
Physiotherapy is commonly used to rehabilitate stroke patients, and a trained physiotherapist will work with the stroke patient to create a series of exercises that are designed to improve movement. In addition, a speech therapist may be required to help a patient improve their verbal communication if they have suffered neurological damage that has affected their language centers in the brain.
Treating stroke-related dysphagia
Another common side effect among recovering stroke patients is that they may experience difficulties in swallowing food and drinks. This is a medical condition known as dysphagia and may occur after a stroke due to damage to the bodies swallowing reflexes that rely on the sophisticated coordination of muscles in the throat.
Thankfully, there is a range of food-thickening products and specific diets that can minimize the difficulties in swallowing, such as the SimplyThick pudding consistency diet that can help significantly. These types of food additive products make foods and beverages thicker, allowing them to be swallowed more effectively by dysphagia patients.
