Stroke is a disease that occurs when the blood supply to the brain is disrupted or completely reduced, so that the brain tissue lacks oxygen and nutrients. Within minutes, brain cells begin to die. This disease is a condition that can threaten a person's life and can cause permanent damage.
What are the options for stroke medicine?
Stroke drugs can generally be done with several methods of treatment. However, sufferers can survive if as soon as possible taken to the emergency room at the hospital.
If the symptoms of a stroke that occur are caused by a blood clot, a stroke drug that can be used is a drug to melt the blood. To be effective, this stroke medication treatment must be done immediately within a period of 3 to 4 ½ hours after the first symptoms appear. In addition, doctors can also provide other stroke drugs that can melt blood such as Heparin, Warfarin (Coumadin), Aspirin or Klopidogrel (Plavix).
Stroke can cause some bodily functions not to work. How likely it is that a person can recover is unknown. Many people need rehabilitation such as speech therapy, physical therapy, and work therapy.
Treatment must also be done in the history of the patient's medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, lifestyle, and high cholesterol levels.
Other conditions must also be prevented by reducing or eliminating the cause of the initial stroke in patients. Many people can do this by using drugs to prevent blood clots.
Often, consuming a small dose of aspirin every day can help. In addition, we also have to control high blood pressure and reduce the risk of other complications such as diabetes, high cholesterol levels, smoking, and excessive weight.
What are the usual tests to detect this disease?
The doctor will detect and give stroke medications based on medical history and physical examination. CT scans or MRI scans in the brain can be done further to evaluate which parts of the brain are affected by stroke symptoms and also to determine whether the condition you are experiencing is caused by blood clots or ruptured blood vessels.
Examination of electrical activity in the heart (electrocardiogram or ECG) will be performed to determine the irregular heartbeat (atrial fibilation) which can cause stroke by facilitating blood clots in the heart and causing this condition to occur.
Stroke therapy
After a stroke, not infrequently some people will do stroke therapy. This is one way to help you relearn the skills lost when this disease attacks parts of your brain. Stroke therapy can help you regain independence and improve the quality of your life.
The results of healing or recovery depend on the severity of the disease experienced by each patient. Researchers have found that people who undergo a stroke therapy program can recover and return to normal faster than people who do not take stroke therapy.
How is therapy done?
There are several ways to do stroke therapy. Therapy plans or treatments can be done depending on the body part or the type of ability that is weakened because this condition occurs. Physical therapy includes:
- Exercise motor skills. These exercises can help increase the strength and coordination of your muscles again. Usually people who do this therapy are people whose tongue muscles weaken. This therapy can strengthen your muscles to talk or swallow.
- Mobility therapy. You may need to learn to use mobility aids, such as walking aids, sticks, wheelchairs or ankle restraints. The ankle brace can stabilize and strengthen your ankles to help support your weight when you learn to walk.
- Constraint-induced therapy. This therapy is carried out by other limbs that are not affected by this condition. Members of the body that are not affected must help other limbs to improve their function. This stroke therapy is sometimes called forced use therapy.
- Range-of-motion therapy. These exercises and treatments aim to reduce muscle tension (flexibility) and help you regain flexible body movements.
Mind and emotional therapy is also possible with the following types:
- Therapy for cognitive disorders. Occupational therapy and speech therapy can help you with lost cognitive abilities, such as memory, processing, problem solving, social skills, judgment, and self-awareness Therapy for communication disorders. Speech therapy can help you regain lost abilities in speaking, listening, writing, and understanding the words of the other person.
- Psychological treatment. Your emotions may be tested. You may also have counseling or participate in support groups that have also experienced this condition. Your doctor may recommend antidepressants or drugs that affect alertness, anxiety or movement.
- Alternative medicine. Treatments such as massage, acupuncture, and oxygen therapy may be a therapy for sufferers of this condition.
When can therapy be started?
The sooner you start therapy, the more likely you are to regain lost abilities and skills.
Food for stroke sufferers
Generally, patients with this condition are not able to chew or swallow food properly. Therefore, planning a diet for patients must be considered.
When a person is exposed to the condition and must undergo treatment at the hospital, usually the food that must be consumed will be arranged by a nutritionist who is included in the medical team.
Patients who experience this condition, must undergo certain dietary principles according to their conditions. There are several types of this condition from mild to severe strokes. Of course, each type of condition will require different foods. Following are the rule tips:
1. Limit salt consumption
For those of you who have a history of this disease, then you should avoid using excessive salt and consumption of foods or drinks that contain high sodium. The high amount of sodium in salt and packaged foods is one of the triggers for the appearance of vascular disorders that occur in you.
2. Choose foods with healthy fats
High saturated fats in the body, will only make cholesterol levels rise. This then makes a person vulnerable to this condition or a sudden heart attack.
Therefore, from now on avoid foods that contain high saturated fats, for example foods that are fried in deep frying, gajih on meat, innards, and chicken skin. Instead, foods for this condition that are good for consumption are nuts containing good fats, such as almonds.
3. Set the portion of the meal accordingly
If indeed you have trouble eating, then you should reduce the portion but increase the frequency of your meal in one day. adjust the food consumed with the calorie needs you have. When confused, you can consult a nutritionist in planning the correct diet during and after therapy.