A stroke is a medical emergency and can be a life-threatening illness. It occurs when the brain is subject to internal hemorrhaging from burst blood vessels, or more commonly when parts of the brain are starved of oxygen due to clots forming in the arteries and vessels of the brain. These types of strokes are known as hemorrhagic and ischemic stokes, respectively. With quick recognition of a stroke occurring in patients and a rapid emergency response, the result is that meaningful medical interventions can be conducted and the patients’ chances of a full recovery can improve. This article describes some of the key treatments and interventions that take place after a stroke has been diagnosed, including after care of the patient.
The use of Aspirin
Aspirin may be a common pill that is taken by many people for the treatment of headaches and other minor ailments but it can also be remarkably effective in treating stroke patients. Aspirin works by thinning the blood which is effective in both ischemic and hemorrhagic types of strokes. Aspirin is also often prescribed to stroke patients after they have been discharged successfully from hospital as there is evidence to suggest that it can reduce the likelihood of secondary strokes occurring. In this same way doctors can also prescribe Warfarin to reduce the likelihood of secondary strokes as this also helps to thin the blood.
Clot busting drugs
A modern advancement in the treatment of stroke patients is the use of clot busing drugs for patients who have had ischemic strokes. An intravenous (IV) drug that is commonly used for this procedure is a tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). It is injected into the bloodstream and can effectively dissolve the clot and therefore stop the blockage of oxygen to the brain. This procedure can be remarkably effective if it takes place within three hours of the onset of stroke symptoms. However, it does not have a 100% success rate for all stroke patients. If it is not successful a stroke specialist may consider undertaking a catheter embolectomy. This is where a catheter is inserted through the blood vessels to where the site of the clot is. Clot busing agents are then directly injected into the site of the clot, or a corkscrew like device is attached to the catheter itself to directly grab and remove the clot.
Post-stroke treatments
After a patient has been successfully treated for the emergency symptoms of a stroke, they may often be left with significant health problems. One such problem in the aftermath of a stroke is suffering from dysphagia, or the inability to swallow as effectively as before the stroke. In severe cases this may make it impossible for a patient to consume food by conventional eating and as such they may need to be fed intravenously until they regain this ability with the help of speech professionals. However, for mild to moderate cases of dysphagia a patient can have their food and beverages treated with thickening products such as SimplyThick Easy Mix which result in the food being made easier to swallow. Other post-stroke treatments include rehabilitation and exercises to improve muscle tone in the side of the body that has been left weakened by having had a stroke. The side of the brain that has the bleeding or clot results in the other side of the body becoming weakened or paralyzed.
