Post-Stroke Rehabilitation Care

Post-Stroke Rehabilitation Care

Sunday, September 22, 2013

What is a Stroke?

Stroke is a brain attack which arise suddenly, caused by blocked or rupture of cerebral blood vessels. In other words, stroke is a disease of the blood vessels of the brain (cerebrovascular) is characterized by the death of brain tissue (cerebral infarction) this is caused because of the blockage, constriction or rupture of blood vessels that supply blood to the brain and reduced oxygen to the brain and cause a series of biochemical reactions that will damage or kill nerve cells of the brain.


Causes of Stroke

There are two factors that cause stroke is a medical risk and behavior risk.

1. Medical risk factors
Medical risk factors that cause or exacerbate stroke include hypertension (high blood pressure), cholesterol, arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), heart problems, diabetes, family history of stroke (heredity) and migraine (headaches). According to statistics 80% of the trigger stroke is hypertension and arteriosclerosis.

2. Behavioral risk factors
Behavioral risk factors are caused by lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits such as smoking, consuming carbonated beverages and alcoholic likes to eat fast food and junk food. Other behavioral risk factors is the lack of motion activity / exercise and obesity. One of the triggers is also uncomfortable mood as often angry for no apparent reason.


Stroke Attack Symptoms

At the initial level, the community, family and every person should obtain a clear and convincing information that a stroke is a brain attack which simply has five major signs that must be understood and very understandable. It is important that all people have a high awareness of the danger of stroke.

The major signs of stroke:

1. Taste fool or sudden death or loss of feeling and weakness in the face, arm or leg, especially on one part of the body.
2. Sudden confusion, difficulty speaking or difficult to understand.
3. One eye or both eyes blurred.
4. Sudden difficulty walking and loss of balance.
5. Sudden dizziness and headache with no known causality.

In addition it should also explain the possible emergence of other follow signs that could arise and or should be aware, that is;

• Nausea, hot and very frequent vomiting.
• Sense of sudden fainting, loss of consciousness or sudden feeling.

Post-Stroke Rehabilitation Care

In rehabilitation, patients with stroke will learn to move, thinking, and self-care. In the rehabilitation process, it can not cure the effects induced stroke, however, may help patients with stroke to optimize body function.

Rehabilitation will give good results and optimal when performed within the first 3 months after stroke. Although the development of optimal recovery is obtained within such period (3 months), the recovery process lasts a lifetime. Therefore, it is important to begin rehabilitation as early as possible and on an ongoing basis. Rehabilitation starts from patients admitted to the hospital and may be continued on an outpatient basis, or at home with home care nursing rehabilitation team.

The selection of the type of therapy required for patients with post-stroke will be adjusted to the condition of the patient and what is needed so that stroke patients can be independent.

Medical rehabilitation team, which consists of medical rehabilitation specialists, nurses, physiotherapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, nutrition specialists, and psychiatrists, will conduct assessments and determine the treatment plan that suits the needs and abilities of stroke survivors, among others: self-care skills , such as eating, bathing, dressing, and other movement skills, such as walking, using a wheelchair, and other speech and language skills to improve social communication skills to interact with others.

One thing that should be considered in post-stroke rehabilitation therapy success, depends on the dedication and motivation of the patient and the patient's family during the rehabilitation process.