Strokes can cause a range of aftereffects depending on their severity and location in the brain, including speech and vision difficulties, loss of mobility, and cognitive impairment. Recovery can take years, but medical advances have improved outcomes. Rehabilitation should start early to reduce the chance of permanent effects.
The aftereffects of a stroke depend on its severity, the area of the brain that was damaged, and the type of stroke. Strokes can damage hearing and speech, vision, and the ability to chew and swallow. Also, a stroke can affect your ability to think clearly or cause loss of mobility in one part of the body. Recovering from a stroke can take years, but medical advances have led to more stroke survivors overcoming their disabilities.
While it’s not common for a stroke to cause hearing loss, many stroke survivors still have difficulty understanding speech soon after the attack. It may also be difficult for them to talk if the muscles in their mouth are affected. Their speech is often slightly slurred and this may require a speech therapist to overcome.
A stroke survivor may see objects that are closer or further away than they actually are. Daily life can be affected by this in subtle ways; for example, successfully reaching for a cup of coffee may require multiple attempts. Also, the stroke survivor may not see well enough to drive a car.
If the muscles in the mouth are affected, a stroke survivor will likely have trouble chewing and swallowing food. It is generally recommended to eat soft foods that cannot be easily choked on until they regain strength and sensitivity in the mouth. However, the aftereffects of a stroke are not always immediately apparent; a stroke survivor may not be aware of a lack of sensation in parts of their mouth.
The inability to think clearly is also among the most common sequelae of a stroke. A stroke survivor may not remember how to do something they once did on a regular basis, such as making coffee. In some cases, the person knows all the steps required to make coffee but gets their order mixed up. It may not be clear why you need to fill the pot with water before turning it on. He or she may even forget why a business started in the first place.
Strokes commonly cause loss of function in one or more limbs. For example, a stroke survivor may find that it is impossible to move or feel their left arm. While a full recovery is possible, other times little or no function returns to the affected limb. It is recommended to start rehabilitation as early as possible to reduce the chance of the after-effects of a stroke becoming permanent.
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