1 in 6 Spaniards will suffer a stroke in their lifetime. With this figure, in 2014, the aim is to raise awareness among the population that this disease is likely to affect someone in your immediate environment. Every October 29th, World Stroke Day is celebrated, and at ISEP, we join the cause to explain what it is and what its causes are.
Stroke is a group of diseases that affect the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain; they are popularly known as embolisms or cerebrovascular accidents and occur suddenly. It could be exemplified as our brain suffering a heart attack.
Stroke can be hemorrhagic, due to a ruptured blood vessel, or ischemic, when an artery is blocked by a blood clot, interrupting blood flow to the brain. When a stroke occurs, the acquired brain damage can be irreparable and leave severe sequelae that impact the affected person’s quality of life. After a stroke, only one-third of patients fully recover, another third are left with sequelae, and the remainder pass away.
Currently, it is the leading cause of severe disability in adults in Spain and the second leading cause of death. And today, more than 300,000 Spaniards present some limitation in their functional capacity as a consequence of a stroke.
Warning Signs
Early detection is crucial to provide appropriate treatment as soon as possible and minimize sequelae. The six warning signs are:
- Sudden loss of strength in the face, arm, and/or leg on one side of the body.
- Sensation of tingling or numbness in the face, arm, and/or leg on one side of the body.
- Sudden partial or total vision loss, in one or both eyes.
- Sudden speech alteration, difficulty expressing oneself.
- Sudden headache of unusual intensity, with no apparent cause.
- Sensation of intense vertigo and imbalance.
If we notice or detect these symptoms in ourselves or a close person, we must go to a hospital as soon as possible to receive urgent neurological care, as the first three hours from the onset of symptoms are key.
There are risk factors such as age or family history that cannot be modified, but there are others that can, such as smoking, excessive alcohol or drug consumption, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, a sedentary lifestyle, or diets rich in salt and fats. Cardiovascular diseases are also a risk factor. Visiting a cardiologist as a preventive and diagnostic measure improves the patient’s quality of life by previously treating a heart or vascular disease, which if not controlled can lead to new health problems. Taking care of your heart is also preventing stroke.
Neurological Rehabilitation
Neurological rehabilitation should begin the moment the person is discharged from ICUs or Stroke Units. Rehabilitation is one of the most important parts of the treatment. For this reason, at ISEP, we train professionals capable of handling these cases and improving patient autonomy to maximize their recovery. It is important to understand that no rehabilitation program can achieve a return to the situation prior to suffering the stroke, and its main objective is to help the patient adapt to their deficits.
These types of programs help the person regain their self-esteem, a key point for them to gain confidence and autonomy. With the help of recovery, one year after the stroke, one-third of patients who overcome it return to work, and half do not need any help for their daily activities.
Typically, rehabilitation integrates physical and occupational therapy and, in specific cases, also language rehabilitation (motor rehabilitation, cognitive rehabilitation, and behavioral/emotional rehabilitation). It must be multidisciplinary, involving a good number of professionals (rehabilitation doctors, neurologists, general practitioners, nursing staff, physiotherapists, speech therapists, social workers, psychologists, etc.), in addition to the patient’s family and caregivers. Success will lie in an early start, an appropriate design according to the needs of each case, realistic goals, and the active commitment of the patient and those around them.