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

  • Image: Stock image of two people communicating with each other but the words in the speech bubbles are jumbled
    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…
  • Javed Ameer a stroke survivor who talks of his rehab journey
    My 3 Tips For Rehabilitation After A Cerebral Stroke
    Javed Ameer talks about how he picked up the pieces after a cerebral stroke and his three mantras for successful rehabilitation. Trigger warning: Includes suicide ideation  1.    What were the immediate effects of your cerebral stroke? I returned home, paralysed. and almost 80% blind (could only see silhouettes!), led by my daughters. Extremely miraculously, my total vision came back one fine day as I stood in my balcony. The whole vision just came suddenly as if someone has…
  • He Lost Many Gifts, But Not His Sense of Victory
    Vasant Samant, a supremely independent man, lost all that was dear to him when he suffered a stroke and was paralysed on the left side of his body. Into 10 years of his stroke, his daughter, Deepa Soman, noted down 10 lessons to caregivers drawn from her experience of inspiring and being inspired. Carrying his tray of tea and biscuits at 6 am, I enter his room. He has left his door slightly ajar, sign that he is up and ready for his tea. He has pulled the calendar off the wall as is his monthly…
  • A Stroke Survivor Speaks - "Everything in Life Can Change in an Instant"
    Javed Ameer,54 from Ahmedabad, India had a life changing experience when he suffered a cerebral stroke, despite leading a disciplined life. He talks about how he has coped and is still coping with it, and rues about the unpredictability of life. Please tell us a bit about your condition before you had the stroke. There is nothing exceptional about my condition. I used to be on medicines and a management regime for essential hypertension for some 5 years and had an exciting high-adrenalin job in…
  • Stroke Prevention and Management – What You Can Do
    Stroke is the third leading cause of death in India and a leading cause of disability. Dr. Atulabh Vajpeyee, neurologist and founder of the Stroke Support Group Udaipur (SSGU), talks about the magnitude of the problem of stroke, how to rein in your risks and the importance of correct and timely management of the disease. Stroke is the second most common cause of death after coronary artery diseases. What are the different types of stroke? It is the second leading cause of death in the world,…
  • Physical Activity and Exercise Can Help Keep Mental Illness in Control
    Exercise and yoga can improve quality of life for people with mental illness and reduce risks of strokes, diabetes, auditory hallucinations and other health problems, informs Dr R Padmavati, Additional Director, Schizophrenia Research Foundation. World Health Organisation defines physical activity as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure. Physical activity is not just "exercise". Exercise, is a subcategory of physical activity that is planned,…
  • White Meat vs Red Meat: Which is Healthier?
    Is it true that red meat should be avoided, while white meat encouraged? Bonnie Lau, an Australian-trained dietitian, counselling patients on GlycoLeap, answers. Here, we compare the pros and cons of both and helps you decide which type of meat you should eat in the future. Meat is a great source of protein and lots of vitamins and minerals. But there are claims that red meat (mutton, lamb, beef, pork) should generally be avoided, while white meat (chicken, duck, fish) is encouraged. We look at…
  • Never Too Old to Sing
    The Choir of the Loaves and Fish, a musical ensemble of senior citizens, started by Pervin Varma with Regina Thomas in Bengaluru has been immensely therapeutic for the elderly and has helped bring loads of warmth and sunshine into their lives. Picture above: Ammachy taking a bow with Pervin Varma Imagine a group of people – all senior citizens between 65 and 96 – people who have suffered strokes or are living with cancer, arthritis, heart disease, dementia, physical disabilities, people with…
  • Journey from Negative to Positive through Dance Movement Therapy
    Restoring self-esteem and self-worth is what Dance Movement Therapy by Renelle Snelleksz has successfully achieved for a cross section of people like people with Parkinson’s Disease or those with a history of physical abuse and even children who have survived cancer but are deeply scarred. What is Dance Movement Therapy? How is it different from learning Dance? Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) is very different from technique-based dance in that it creates a safe and non-judgemental space for…
  • Speech and Hearing Disorders in an Aging Population
    Dr S.P. Goswami, Professor of Speech Pathology at Mysore counsels that with the right kind of support, the load of the communication disorder can be shared equally by the aged individual as well as the family, the key to it being to meet them halfway. Aging is a phenomenon which starts from birth and brings about changes in the individual across the life span. However, beyond the yardstick of 60 years, anatomical and physiological changes become highly evident in the human body, thereby leading…