Stroke: Life After a Stroke

What is a stroke?

A stroke or "brain attack" is a brain injury. It happens when the blood flow to part of the brain is suddenly reduced or stopped. When you have a stroke, you may have trouble using the part of the body that is controlled by the part of the brain that is damaged.

Depending on what part of the brain was hurt, a stroke can affect the senses, movement, or speech. It can make one side of your body weak or unable to move. It can change behavior, thoughts, memory, and the ability to speak and understand speech. Treatment usually includes drugs, hospital care, and rehabilitation (rehab). Sometimes surgery may be helpful, too.

How long will recovery take?

The brain cannot replace the brain cells that died. How much you recover from a stroke, and how long it takes, depends on how much the brain was damaged. Some people recover fully from a stroke, but most people have some permanent loss of function. If you have had more than 1 stroke, it’s more likely that you will be left with life-long handicaps.

Recovery can start quickly after a stroke. Early signs of restored function can happen within a day or two. When recovery starts early, the amount of recovery tends to be more complete. Most of the recovery that is possible will happen within 6 months, but more function may be regained as long as a year later.

Physical therapy can help bring back muscle strength and movement. Occupational therapy can help you relearn everyday skills so that you are less dependent on others. Speech therapy can help if you have problems with swallowing, speaking, or understanding words.

Many people who have had a stroke get depressed. If depression is not treated, it can take longer to recover from the stroke.

About 1 in 20 stroke survivors need help for the rest of their lives with everyday activities, such as eating, dressing, using the toilet, and bathing. Often these severe effects happen to people who have had more than 1 stroke, so it is best to do what you can to keep from having another stroke.

How can I take care of myself and keep from having another stroke?

• Follow your healthcare provider's recommendations for medical treatment and rehab after a stroke.
• Eat healthy foods that are low in fat and cholesterol.
• Exercise the parts of your body that are affected by the stroke as much as possible.
• With your provider’s approval, exercise daily for 30 minutes or more. Walking is usually the safest exercise unless you have problems with balance that could cause you to fall.
• If you are overweight, talk to your healthcare provider about weight control.
• If you smoke, quit. Ask for your healthcare provider's help if you need it.
• Avoid alcohol, particularly if you have leg weakness or balance problems.
• Keep careful records of your blood pressure and show these records to your healthcare providers. Keeping high blood pressure under control is an important part of preventing another stroke.
• If you have diabetes, keep good control of your blood sugar.
• Ask your provider if you should take aspirin. If you have risk factors for heart disease and stroke, such as diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure, aspirin may lower your risk. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs), such as aspirin, may cause stomach bleeding and other problems. These risks increase with age. Read the label and take as directed. Unless recommended by your healthcare provider, do not take for more than 10 days for any reason. Your provider can help you decide if the benefits of aspirin outweigh the small risk of bleeding.
• If you have a type of irregular heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation, your provider may prescribe a blood thinner to help prevent clots.
• If you have high-cholesterol, taking lipid-lowering medicine may help protect you against another stroke.