John was a healthy 65 year old when he had the stroke that would change his life. On a hiking holiday in the north of Scotland with his wife, John went to take a shower and suffered a stroke that affected the left side of his brain. John’s stroke left his right arm and leg paralysed, leaving a healthy, active man unable to care for himself.
When a stoke occurs in the left temperal lobe of the brain, the ability to communicate and understand when someone is communicating with you is often affected. As a result of her stroke, Bev was unable to speak properly or read books written for a 3 year old.
A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted, causing damage to the brain as a result of oxygen deprivation. Stroke occurs for two reasons:
An ischeamic stroke happens when a blood clot blocks a artery and prevents blood flow to the brain
A haemorrhagic stroke is caused by bleeding in the brain as a result of hypertension or a burst aneurysm.
For most stroke victims like John, the stroke occurs with no warning. The day before his stroke John and his wife had been hiking in the mountains of Scotland. When he went to the bathroom that morning, his wife was preparing their ruck-sacks for another day out in the hills.
This is not an uncommon story – many people who suffer strokes have no prior warning and are to all intents and purposes healthy. The earlier a stroke victim receives treatment, the less chance of permanent damage to the brain. The problems following stoke are caused by the brain being deprived of oxygen for a period of time causing brain cells to die. The sooner blood flow and oxygen is restored to the brain the fewer brain cells that are affected. The Stroke Association works to highlight awareness around the sudden onset of stroke and urges everyone to know the signs to look for:
Remember FACE
F: Face – Has the mouth or eye drooped to one side? Can the person smile normally?
A: Arms -Can the person raise both arms?
S: Speech – Is speech slurred or confused?
T: Time to call for help – If the above symptoms are present, call an ambulance immediately
Following a stoke, the treatment needed will depend on the severity of the stroke, the area of the brain affected and the subsequent problems.
For Ted, after receiving initial care in an NHS hospital in London, the decision lay with his family to choose the option for his follow on care. There are a very limited number of stroke rehabilitation centers around the UK – the closest private hospital to Ted’s family home was a 2 hour drive away that his family would have undertaken daily. This did not seem a suitable option and Ted received treatment in the local NHS hospital a 10 minute drive from the family home. Many UK based patients find themselves in the same situation and the lack of private facilities in the UK forces many families to subsidize NHS care with private intervention.
For patients who suffer dysphasia after stroke, speech therapy is imperative. The earlier speech and language therapy begins, the higher the percentage of patients who regain the ability to communicate. NHS hospitals are severely understaffed -especially in the areas of medicine until recently deemed supplementary to care such as speech therapy and physiotherapy. Private speech therapists provide an invaluable service. Speech therapists will often travel to the patient and can visit in hospital or at home. Research has proven that the sooner after a stroke a patient begins to receive speech therapy the greater the chance of recovering the ability to speak.
It is the same for physiotherapy. Seriously understaffed, NHS hospitals are unable to provide the intensity of physiotherapy needed for patients. Private physiotherapy may seem expensive however the cost of physiotherapy outweighs the cost of caring for someone who is physically disabled and greatly increases the chance of recovering motor ability after a stroke.
Although the number of specialist stroke units in hospitals around the UK are limited, there are some excellent facilities available. Heart bypass doctors offer the specialized dedicated care needed for recovery.
Stroke can affect anyone of any age. For Laura Rose, she was just 8 years old when she suffered a stroke and thankfully, due in part to receiving immediate care, she has made almost a full recovery.
** If you can recommend a hospital, clinic or individual therapist working with stroke victims to overcome the many side effects of this illness, please contact us. We receive requests from patients all over the world looking for support and medical help for their loved ones and recommendations from those who have received treatment at quality hospitals help us connect these patients to the care they need.
***Are you a stroke survivor with a story to share? Please do contact us: contact@whereisydoctor.com
When a stoke occurs in the left temperal lobe of the brain, the ability to communicate and understand when someone is communicating with you is often affected. As a result of her stroke, Bev was unable to speak properly or read books written for a 3 year old.
A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted, causing damage to the brain as a result of oxygen deprivation. Stroke occurs for two reasons:
An ischeamic stroke happens when a blood clot blocks a artery and prevents blood flow to the brain
A haemorrhagic stroke is caused by bleeding in the brain as a result of hypertension or a burst aneurysm.
For most stroke victims like John, the stroke occurs with no warning. The day before his stroke John and his wife had been hiking in the mountains of Scotland. When he went to the bathroom that morning, his wife was preparing their ruck-sacks for another day out in the hills.
This is not an uncommon story – many people who suffer strokes have no prior warning and are to all intents and purposes healthy. The earlier a stroke victim receives treatment, the less chance of permanent damage to the brain. The problems following stoke are caused by the brain being deprived of oxygen for a period of time causing brain cells to die. The sooner blood flow and oxygen is restored to the brain the fewer brain cells that are affected. The Stroke Association works to highlight awareness around the sudden onset of stroke and urges everyone to know the signs to look for:
Remember FACE
F: Face – Has the mouth or eye drooped to one side? Can the person smile normally?
A: Arms -Can the person raise both arms?
S: Speech – Is speech slurred or confused?
T: Time to call for help – If the above symptoms are present, call an ambulance immediately
Following a stoke, the treatment needed will depend on the severity of the stroke, the area of the brain affected and the subsequent problems.
For Ted, after receiving initial care in an NHS hospital in London, the decision lay with his family to choose the option for his follow on care. There are a very limited number of stroke rehabilitation centers around the UK – the closest private hospital to Ted’s family home was a 2 hour drive away that his family would have undertaken daily. This did not seem a suitable option and Ted received treatment in the local NHS hospital a 10 minute drive from the family home. Many UK based patients find themselves in the same situation and the lack of private facilities in the UK forces many families to subsidize NHS care with private intervention.
For patients who suffer dysphasia after stroke, speech therapy is imperative. The earlier speech and language therapy begins, the higher the percentage of patients who regain the ability to communicate. NHS hospitals are severely understaffed -especially in the areas of medicine until recently deemed supplementary to care such as speech therapy and physiotherapy. Private speech therapists provide an invaluable service. Speech therapists will often travel to the patient and can visit in hospital or at home. Research has proven that the sooner after a stroke a patient begins to receive speech therapy the greater the chance of recovering the ability to speak.
It is the same for physiotherapy. Seriously understaffed, NHS hospitals are unable to provide the intensity of physiotherapy needed for patients. Private physiotherapy may seem expensive however the cost of physiotherapy outweighs the cost of caring for someone who is physically disabled and greatly increases the chance of recovering motor ability after a stroke.
Although the number of specialist stroke units in hospitals around the UK are limited, there are some excellent facilities available. Heart bypass doctors offer the specialized dedicated care needed for recovery.
Stroke can affect anyone of any age. For Laura Rose, she was just 8 years old when she suffered a stroke and thankfully, due in part to receiving immediate care, she has made almost a full recovery.
** If you can recommend a hospital, clinic or individual therapist working with stroke victims to overcome the many side effects of this illness, please contact us. We receive requests from patients all over the world looking for support and medical help for their loved ones and recommendations from those who have received treatment at quality hospitals help us connect these patients to the care they need.
***Are you a stroke survivor with a story to share? Please do contact us: contact@whereisydoctor.com
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