Prognosis
The prognosis of a stroke is highly variable and depends on the location and extent of the brain damage. Often the symptoms are completely regressing due to the stroke, but there may also be a severe need for care. In some cases a stroke can even be fatal.
Early diagnosis and a quick start of therapy, as well as preventive measures in the case of a stroke that has already occurred, can significantly improve the prognosis and have a positive influence on the course of the disease. and healing after a strokeThe most frequent and most important consequences of a stroke are lifelong disability, need for care, bedriddenness, invalidity and inability to work, which leads to a massive impairment of the quality of life, especially for young patients. Some affected persons also develop depression due to the loss of bodily functions.
Through the early use of rehabilitation measures such as physiotherapeutic and logopaedic measures still on the stroke unit, an attempt is made to prevent the complications of disability, need for care, bedriddenness, invalidity and incapacity to work. Restricted mobility after a stroke can also lead to the occurrence of leg vein thrombosis and subsequently to life-threatening pulmonary embolism, which is why bedridden patients should always be treated with heparin. In some cases, a stroke can result in swallowing difficulties.
In cases of swallowing disorders, food components or fluids may be swallowed into the respiratory tract, which is called aspiration. Aspiration of food components can lead to pneumonia and even suffocation. In some cases it may be necessary to insert a stomach tube.
The brain damage can also lead to epileptic seizures after a stroke, which should be treated with medication. About 10% of all strokes are fatal. The brain tissue damaged by the stroke can swell very severely, resulting in increased intracranial pressure, which can eventually lead to death if brain tissue is trapped.
Prophylaxis
In order to prevent a stroke, risk factors of a stroke, such as arterial hypertension, obesity, diabetes mellitus, stimulants such as nicotine and alcohol and stress should be avoided first. This means that blood pressure and blood sugar should be optimally adjusted and overweight should be reduced. Nicotine and alcohol should be avoided and one should pay attention to a conscious nutrition, as well as do sport regularly.
If a stroke has already occurred and a new one is to be prevented, it is recommended to take acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), a so-called thrombocyte aggregation inhibitor and a statin, which lowers the cholesterol level. These drugs improve the blood‘s ability to flow and have been shown to reduce the risk of a new stroke. Depending on the cause of the stroke, further measures such as therapy with anticoagulants or surgery may be advisable.
