Stroke Management

  • Stroke
    A stroke is caused by the interruption of the blood supply to the brain, usually because a blood vessel bursts or is blocked by a clot. This cuts off the supply of oxygen and nutrients, causing damage to the brain tissue. The effects of a stroke depend on which part of the brain is injured and how severely it is affected. A very severe stroke can cause sudden death.
Submitted by PatientsEngage on 29 October 2015

In addition to Treatment and Rehabilitation, the following aspects are equally important

Nutrition 

  • Eat like a Mediterranean (fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain foods, lean meats and poultry, fatty fish once or twice a week) 
  • Cut fat intake
  • Limit your alcohol consumption
  • Limit salt intake.

Exercise

Make exercise a habit as soon as the doctor gives you the go-ahead. Exercise at least 30-40 minutes every day. Exercise will help you maintain an ideal weight and lower fats in the body. This helps prevent heart attacks and future strokes.

NOTE: Have regular health check-up after the age of 40.

Take charge: Your action plan

  • Know your blood pressure : If it is elevated, work with your doctor to keep it under control. High blood pressure is a leading cause of stroke. Have your blood pressure checked at least once each year; more often if you have a history of high blood pressure
  • Know your cholesterol number : If it is high, work with your doctor to control it. Lowering your cholesterol may reduce your stroke risk. High cholesterol can also indirectly increase stroke risk by putting you at greater risk of heart disease - an important stroke risk factor. In many cases, high cholesterol can be controlled with diet and exercise; some individuals may require medication.
  • If you smoke, STOP. Smoking doubles the risk for stroke. If you stop smoking today, your risk for stroke will begin to decrease. BE INSPIRED by Asok Mitra
  • Include exercise in the activities you enjoy in your daily routine. A brisk walk, swim or other exercise for as little as 30 minutes a day can improve your health in many ways, and may reduce your risk for stroke. 
  • Enjoy a lower salt, lower fat diet. By cutting down on sodium and fat in your diet, you may be able to lower your blood pressure and, most importantly, lower your risk for stroke. 
  • Act FAST. If you have any stroke symptoms, seek immediate medical attention. 

Know Your Support team – Who can help you stay healthy?

  • General physician
  • Neuro physician
  • Neurosurgeon, if required
  • Therapists as required
  • Fitness expert
  • Dietitian
Community
Neurological Conditions
Stroke Rehab and Recovery
Condition
Stroke

Stories

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    A Stroke Survivor’s Mantra to Live A Better Life
    Sharad Kumar Tekalkote, who lost his ability to speak after a severe stroke, had to undergo intense rehabilitation and speech therapy exercises, to resume normalcy. Today, he is a motivational speaker. Here, he shares ten tips on how to live a full life. I was diagnosed with a haemorrhagic stroke. I was given a 5% chance of making it through an operating table. While no one expects adversity or enjoys experiencing it, the fact is that challenges are a normal part of life. On 18 October, 2012,…
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    Stroke Takes Emotional And Financial Toll On Family!
    Ranjana Rajan had a difficult time when her mother Vaidehi suddenly got a stroke and returned home with her left limbs paralysed. Here, she narrates her experiences and challenges as a caregiver of a stroke patient and suggests some measures to reduce the burden. April 6, 2014, 9 pm: While eating her dinner, my 80-year old mom’s eyes became blurry, her left jaw dropped and she fell to one side of the chair; we immediately called a nearby hospital emergency service and moved her there. Her BP on…
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    The Biggest Fear I had to Battle was my Loss of Speech
    Sharad Tekalkote, 44, had no idea what was happening to him when he got a severe haemorrhagic stroke. It left him paralysed on his right side and completely took away his ability to speak. Here, he recounts his traumatic story and perseverance to get back to normal. That Thursday morning lacked the usual workday frenzy as my boss was on holiday. I left home at 10 am for the Expo Centre at Whitefield in Bengaluru to visit some dignitaries. My boss called me at 12:30 pm and I spoke to him for…
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    How Our Entire Family Rallies Around My Mother, My Dad's Primary Caregiver
    Payal talks about how she has seen her father deteriorate physically and mentally over the years due to stroke. She and her mother play an active role in his daily care which has become tougher over time. Payal, tell us about your father’s condition? My father had a brain stroke 15 years back and he has been slowly deteriorating day by day. He has lost most of his memory and struggles to even remember his children’s names. He often wanders off if left alone, so he needs to be monitored 24 hours…
  • Stroke Is One Of The Leading Disabling Conditions In The World
    On World Stroke Day, Prof Dr Dipes Kumar Mandal, Founder-President - Stroke Foundation of Bengal talks about how a condition like Stroke, which has far reaching consequences, needs to be taken more seriously. Do you think stroke is one of the most debilitating conditions? Why? Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disabilities globally. While in USA, heart disease is the leading cause of death, in China, Stroke (Brain Attack) is the leading cause of death as well as disabilities…
  • Stroke Rehabiliation and Recovery Tips
    Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery is a long drawn out process which can be exhausting and de-motivating for both the survivors and their family members. We have compiled some of the best tips from patients, family caregivers and professionals. Stroke survivor Javed Ameer's 3 most important tips for rehabilitation for a cerebral stroke patient are: Be ‘physical’. Cycle, walk, jog, run, exercise……… Accept your fate and state. Mentally. Faster you do it, better for your peace of mind! Reading…
  • Mausumi, a dark haired woman on the right with her mother, a person with dementia on the left. Mother is wearing specs and a bindi on her forehead and you can see the blue and white sari draped around her shoulders
    Patience And Innovation Are The Most Important Attributes Of A Caregiver For Persons With Dementia
    Mausumi Ghosh from Mumbai talks about the travails of taking care of her mother, 77 who suffers from dementia in addition to other conditions like osteosporosis. My mother is an osteoporosis patient from 2003 when she underwent hip replacement operation in Mumbai. She recovered from the same very well and was mobile and independent till she met with a ‘fall’ at home in 2010 and broke her ‘femur bone’ (left leg). She got herself operated twice in Kolkata in AMRI hospital and both the times the ‘…
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    12 Confusing and Overlapping Symptoms in the Elderly
    Symptoms like weight loss, memory loss, weakness, and fatigue should not be mistaken as a sign of the"normal aging" process. Dr. Shital Patel explains 12 common but misleading symptoms in the elderly and why you should seek a doctor's opinion instead of ignoring them.  Symptoms in the elderly can have very different causes than they may have in a young person. Many symptoms in the geriatric population may be masked by concurrent chronic ailments, injuries, age-related physiological…
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    A Tumour In The Heart And a Cerebral Stroke!
    And she still counts her blessings! Bhairavi (not her real name) fainted and lost her vision, speech all at once. Read more to find out how she came to understood the cause and how she resumed painting.  The beginning It all started in summer of 2004, when my husband had just lost his mother and we went to Calcutta for her last rites. The evening of the shraadh or memorial gathering, I was looking for a mouth freshener since I hadn’t eaten all day. My relative offered me some supari (…
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    Speech and Language Breakdown after Stroke
    After a stroke nearly 20-40 per cent patients develop communication problems or aphasia, the inability to comprehend and formulate language because of damage to specific language areas in the brain. Dr Sujata Gandhi, Speech Therapist, Nanavati Hospital, advises that speech and language therapy is the best way to restore normalcy and quality of life. How does a stroke or ‘brain attack’ affect speech and communication? A stroke causes damage to the Speech and Language areas of the brain. For most…

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