Strokes are the third leading cause of death in the United States just behind heart diseases and cancer. Catching the signs of a stroke early can make a dramatic difference in whether or not you survive a stroke, and can also affect how severe the lingering side effects of the condition can be, which in turn affects how much rehabilitation is needed to recover.
Motor Skills
One of the first symptoms of a stroke can be a loss of motor skills when blood flow is reduced or stopped to the areas of your brain responsible for movement, such as the primary motor cortex or the medulla. According to the American Heart Association, the symptoms of a stroke include sudden numbness or weakness, particularly on one side of the body, severe headache, sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding others and sudden balance issues including trouble walking, dizziness and/or a lack of coordination.
Speech
Your speech can also be commonly affected as blood flow is interrupted to the frontal lobe or temporal lobe of your brain. Loss of speech may be complete, or it may manifest itself as slurred speech or a loss of ability to explain what you are feeling, also known as aphasia. To test if you are experiencing this symptom, MayoClinic.com suggests trying to repeat a simple phrase twice. If you are unable to do so, then you should call for emergency help.
Paralysis
Partial paralysis can also occur with a stroke. In general, if the right side of the brain is affected by the stroke as in a right-hemisphere stroke, the left side of your body will become paralyzed. If the left side of the brain is affected by a left-hemisphere stroke, the right side of your body will become paralyzed, suggests the National Stroke Association.
Rehabilitation
The type of rehabilitation after a stroke can vary depending on how severe the stroke is, what part of the brain was affected, and how long it took to get treatment. Rehabilitation can take several forms including physical therapy exercises to build strength and motor skills, occupational therapy to relearn certain skills that may have been lost during the stroke, speech therapy to regain language skills, as well as help from other professionals ranging from neurologists to psychologists to help deal with any emotional issues that come from the experience and damage of a stroke.
