Your brain controls all functions of your body, from walking and speaking, to eating and drinking. When a stroke occurs, blood flow to the brain stops. Without blood flow, brain cells begin to die, damaging the part of the brain where the stroke occurred. Depending on the region of the brain affected by the stroke, a person may encounter many challenges related to eating and nutrition.
Dysphagia
Dysphagia, a condition characterized by difficulty swallowing or an inability to swallow, can occur when parts of the brain that control swallowing are damaged by a stroke. Dysphagia is common, affecting up to 81 percent of people after a stroke. Dysphagia can cause choking or gagging during meals, and can even lead to aspiration pneumonia if choked-on food is inhaled into the lungs. A speech language pathologist can evaluate your ability to swallow, and can prescribe a diet that is safe for you to eat. To prevent aspiration, it may be necessary to drink thickened liquids or eat solid foods that are pureed or ground up, which are easier to swallow.
Nutrition Support
When a person has severe difficulty swallowing, the risk of aspiration is very high. When a speech language pathologist determines that it is unsafe for a person to eat by mouth, there are alternate forms of nutrition. Tube feeding can provide complete nutrition to a person. If the need for tube feeding is short term, a small, flexible tube can be placed through the nose and into the stomach or the first section of the small intestine. If long-term tube feeding is required, a feeding tube can be surgically placed into the stomach through the abdominal wall. A specialized formula can then be infused through the feeding tube to provide calories, protein, fat, and essential vitamins and minerals.
Professional Resources
Medical professionals can help guide you when navigating the challenges of nutrition after a stroke. Speech language pathologists can perform ongoing swallow evaluations as needed, assessing your swallowing abilities as strength and coordination slowly return after a stroke. A speech language pathologist can tell you what foods and liquids are safe as you progress toward resuming a regular diet. If tube feedings are required, a registered dietitian can assess a person's nutritional requirements, and determine the amount of tube feeding formula needed for optimal nutrition. Dietitians can also suggest foods that are compliant with diet guidelines implemented by speech language pathologists, working to find foods that are appealing and safe to eat.
Preventive Nutrition
A healthy diet can also help decrease your risk for another stroke in the future.The Cleveland Clinic recommends balancing the amount of food you eat with physical activity to reach a healthy body weight. Limiting salt, sugar and alcohol in your diet can also decrease your risk for stroke. Stroke risk can also decrease with a diet rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and low in fat.
References
- Cleveland Clinic: The Role of Nutrition in the Treatment and Prevention of Stroke
- "Nutrition in Clinical Practice"; Nutrition in the Stroke Patient; Mandy L. Corrigan, et al.; June 2011
- Medline Plus: Stroke
- "British Medical Bulletin"; Nutrition After Stroke; Martin Dennis; 2000
- National Stroke Association: Explaining Stroke
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association: Dysphagia after Stroke: Incidence, Diagnosis, and Pulmonary Complications; R Martino, et al.; 2005
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