Stroke: a leading cause of long term disability

Neurology

Stroke: A Leading Cause of Long Term Disability

Stroke: A Leading Cause of Long Term Disability Aug 28, 2019

Over the time, it has been proved that in most cases, stroke results in long term disabilities. 9 out of 10 patients have reported compromised body function, resulting in high burden of disability either physical or psychological. In every individual, strokes are different and hence, disabilities, also differ from person to person.

The range of limitation in body function majorly relies on the factor that which organ is affected due to stroke, what is the severity of stroke, how is the patient’s overall general health or what are the underlying co-morbid conditions.

Let’s discuss the different kind of disabilities faced by patients suffering from stroke:-

Weakness or Paralysis: Hemiparesis (one sided weakness) or whole body weakness is the most common impairment seen in patients. Weakness can be limited to just arm or leg. Many patients experience loosen handgrip, or reduced strength in hands muscles that hinder the daily routine activities.

Movement and coordination Problems: Motor impairment, muscles weakness, impaired walking ability, impaired natural gait, difficulty in maintaining balance and increased risk of falls are some examples of impairments resulted due to stroke.

Language problems: Stroke survivors are found to suffer from the problems of dysarthria, (it is the disease in which person is unable to pronounce words properly due to weakness in muscles of face and mouth) and aphasia (it is a disease in which a person is unable to process the language.)

Impaired quality of life: The disabilities created by stroke often lead to severe difficulties in performing daily life routine activities, and sometimes patients have to rely on a family member or any caretaker for help.

Difficulty in controlling Bladder and Bowel: The will power to control urine and bowel movements reduces for a patient and this causes a lot of problem for the patient.

Psychological Problems: The common psychological problems faced by a patient are cognitive dysfunction, loss of self-esteem, confidence and depression. Depression can be a result of emotional changes or physical injury to the brain because of stroke. It is recommended to consult your doctor immediately in case of visible symptoms of stroke.