Treatment FAQ

what is the best treatment for strokes

by Ms. Jayne Frami DDS Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Emergency IV medication.
An IV injection of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) — also called alteplase (Activase) or tenecteplase (TNKase) — is the gold standard treatment for ischemic stroke. An injection of TPA is usually given through a vein in the arm within the first three hours.
Jan 20, 2022

Medication

Stem cell therapy is a promising procedure that may help individuals recover after a stroke. It works by transplanting stem cells into the brain tissue surrounding the location of the stroke. The stem cells boost the brain’s ability to release growth factors, molecules, and proteins that stimulate neuroplasticity and other recovery mechanisms.

Procedures

What to Eat to Prevent a Stroke

  • Eat More Green Vegetables. Green vegetables, while maybe not the favorite food of children, have been shown to lower someone’s risk of having a stroke.
  • Fish Can Aid in Preventing a Stroke. ...
  • Whole Grains = Stroke Prevention. ...
  • Fruits Lower Stroke Risk. ...

Therapy

To help you keep improving, here are some tips to promote recovery from stroke:

  • Keep regular therapy appointments. Therapists are highly skilled in their ability to help you overcome the secondary effects of a stroke. ...
  • Exercise daily at home. Between these outpatient therapy sessions, you should also do rehab at home. ...
  • Adjust your goals as you progress. ...
  • Keep a journal of your recovery. ...

Nutrition

  • Start the day off right with whole grain cereal or whole grain toast (if your cholesterol is high, choose oatmeal or oat bran cereal or toast).
  • Instead of fruit juice, have a whole piece of fruit.
  • For a fiber-packed lunch toss ½ cup garbanzo beans into a dark leafy green salad.

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Is there a real treatment for stroke?

What to eat to prevent a stroke?

What is the prognosis for recovery from a stroke?

What is the best diet for stroke prevention?

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What helps strokes heal faster?

How to Increase the Chance of Fast Stroke RecoveryDon't Overdo Physical Activity. Exercise is crucial because it increases the flow of blood and oxygen throughout the brain. ... Follow a Healthy Diet. Creating more neurons is the key to quick stroke recovery. ... Get Plenty of Rest. ... Use Respite Care.

What are 3 treatments for a stroke?

Treating ischaemic strokesThrombolysis – "clot buster" medicine. ... Thrombectomy. ... Aspirin and other antiplatelets. ... Anticoagulants. ... Blood pressure medicines. ... Statins. ... Carotid endarterectomy.

Can stroke be completely cured?

The short answer is yes, stroke can be cured — but it occurs in two stages. First, doctors administer specific treatment to restore normal blood flow in the brain. Then, the patient participates in rehabilitation to cure the secondary effects.

What is the golden hour of stroke treatment?

A door-to-treatment time of 60 minutes or less is the goal. This 60-minute period is often referred to as the “golden hour” of acute ischemic stroke treatment during which a focused diagnostic workup must be completed to rule out conditions that may mimic stroke as well as contraindications to rt-PA administration.

What is the chance of recovering from a stroke?

According to the National Stroke Association, 10 percent of people who have a stroke recover almost completely, with 25 percent recovering with minor impairments. Another 40 percent experience moderate to severe impairments that require special care.

How long does it take to recover from a stroke?

The most rapid recovery usually occurs during the first three to four months after a stroke, but some survivors continue to recover well into the first and second year after their stroke. Some signs point to physical therapy.

What does a neurologist do for stroke patients?

These physicians know the symptoms and signs found in stroke patients and the detailed differential diagnosis of stroke subtypes. They are very familiar with the symptoms, signs, and diagnosis of other neurological disorders. They are knowledgeable about stroke recovery and rehabilitation.

How long is hospital stay after stroke?

The typical length of a hospital stay after a stroke is five to seven days. During this time, the stroke care team will evaluate the effects of the stroke, which will determine the rehabilitation plan.

What medicine is given to stop a stroke?

A clot-busting medication called tPA, or tissue plasminogen activator, can be given to someone if they're having a stroke, potentially reversing or stopping symptoms from developing.

What percentage of stroke patients make a full recovery?

Although just 10% of people fully recover from a stroke, 25% have only minor impairments and 40% have moderate impairments that are manageable with some special care.

What is the most critical time after a stroke?

Critical time window for rehabilitation after a strokeResearchers found that intensive therapy, added to standard rehabilitation, produces the greatest improvement when administered 2-3 months after a stroke.The results could lead to improved rehabilitation programs for stroke patients.

Can a person regain speech after a stroke?

You can't predict how a person will recover from a stroke. But usually, communication problems improve naturally over weeks and months. The brain can often adapt and pick up new skills to make up for some of what it lost. However, some people do have lasting communication problems.

What is the best way to prevent stroke?

It’ll likely include a combination of exercise, a healthier diet, and medications such as aspirin. If you smoke, quitting smoking is an important lifestyle change for stroke prevention.

What is the procedure for a large stroke?

Decompressive craniotomy. A large stroke can lead to serious swelling in the brain. In some cases, surgical intervention may be necessary if drugs don’t adequately relieve the swelling. Decompressive craniectomy aims to relieve the buildup of pressure inside your skull before it becomes dangerous.

Why does hemorrhagic stroke cause swelling?

Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a brain aneurysm bursts or a weakened blood vessel leaks. This causes blood to leak into your brain, creating swelling and pressure. Unlike ischemic strokes, treatment for hemorrhagic strokes doesn’t involve blood thinners. This is because thinning your blood would cause the bleeding in your brain to become worse.

How long does it take for a stroke to start?

They occur when a blood clot blocks blood flow to your brain. Medication treatment for this type of stroke must start within 4.5 hours of the event, according to 2018 guidelines from the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Stroke Association (ASA).

What is the procedure for a blocked carotid artery?

Carotid endarterectomy. This procedure is often performed on people who’ve had an ischemic stroke due to a blocked carotid artery. The carotid arteries are the major blood vessels in the neck that supply blood to the brain.

How does a stroke affect you?

How a stroke affects you depends on the location in your brain where the stroke occurs. Evaluation and treatment for a stroke should begin as soon as possible. The quicker emergency treatment begins, the greater the chance of preventing lasting damage. Treatment depends on the type of stroke you’re having.

How does endovascular repair work?

Your doctor may recommend a procedure called endovascular repair. Your surgeon threads a thin wire and catheter through your blood vessels and into the aneurysm. Then, they release a coil of soft platinum wire into the area. The wire is about as thick as a strand of hair.

What is the best medicine for a stroke?

If you get to the hospital within 3 hours of the first symptoms of an ischemic stroke, you may get a type of medicine called a thrombolytic (a “clot-busting” drug) to break up blood clots. Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is a thrombolytic. tPA improves the chances of recovering from a stroke.

What do you need to do after a stroke?

After a stroke, you may need rehabilitation ( rehab) to help you recover. Before you are discharged from the hospital, social workers can help you find care services and caregiver support to continue your long-term recovery.

What is the best way to get to the hospital for a stroke?

Stroke Treatment. Calling 9-1-1 at the first symptom of stroke can help you get to the hospital in time for lifesaving stroke care. Your stroke treatment begins the moment emergency medical services (EMS) arrives to take you to the hospital. Once at the hospital, you may receive emergency care, treatment to prevent another stroke, ...

Why do people go to the hospital for stroke?

Stroke patients who are taken to the hospital in an ambulance may get diagnosed and treated more quickly than people who do not arrive in an ambulance. 1 This is because emergency treatment starts on the way to the hospital. The emergency workers may take you to a specialized stroke center to ensure that you receive the quickest possible diagnosis ...

What type of doctor treats strokes?

Brain scans will show what type of stroke you had. You may also work with a neurologist who treats brain disorders, a neurosurgeon that performs surgery on the brain, or a specialist in another area of medicine.

How many days after TIA can you get a stroke?

The risk of stroke within 90 days of a TIA may be as high as 17%, with the greatest risk during the first week. 6. That’s why it’s important to treat the underlying causes of stroke, including heart disease, high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation (fast, irregular heartbeat), high cholesterol, and diabetes.

Do not drive to the hospital for a stroke?

Do not drive to the hospital or let someone else drive you. The key to stroke treatment and recovery is getting to the hospital quickly. Yet 1 in 3 stroke patients never calls 9-1-1. 1 Calling an ambulance means that medical staff can begin life-saving treatment on the way to the emergency room.

What is the treatment for a stroke?

Once under the care of a medical team, and diagnosis confirmed, a patient will receive emergency stroke treatment, which may include breathing support and IV fluids; medications to break up blood clots; medications and therapies to reduce brain swelling and protect the brain; and brain surgery to remove clots, reduce pressure or repair bleeds.

What is the most important part of stroke treatment?

The most important part of stroke treatment is getting it fast. acronym “FAST” is an easy way to remember the main symptoms to be aware of in order to help someone who may be having a stroke: face drooping, arm weakness or speech difficulty.

Preventing Another Stroke

Don't let stroke strike twice. One in four stroke survivors has another.

Support That Lifts You Up

Our online community of survivors and caregivers is here to keep you going no matter the obstacles. We’ve been there, and we won’t let you go it alone.

What is the best treatment for paralysis after a stroke?

Acupuncture . Acupuncture is a great alternative treatment after ischemic stroke. There is a large amount of findings that consider acupuncture to be an excellent treatment for post stroke paralysis , but its exact mechanism of action on the body is not firmly understood.

How to treat ischemic stroke?

The best way to treat an ischemic stroke is with tPA or aspirin – two clot-dissolving drugs. There’s only a short time frame in which tPA can be administered, but it’s very effective. When a minor stroke or TIA is happening, sometimes aspirin can help since it thins the blood.

How to treat paralysis in hand?

Mirror Therapy. Mirror therapy is another great stroke treatment that you can try at home – especially if you have paralysis in your hand. This treatment uses a tabletop mirror to ‘trick’ your brain into thinking that you’re moving your affected hand while you perform stroke exercises with your non-affected hand.

What is physical therapy?

At a rehabilitation facility, you will participate in rigorous physical and occupational therapy. Physical therapy focuses on improving mobility in the body through stroke rehabilitation exercises.

What is a hemorrhagic stroke?

A hemorrhagic stroke is caused when an artery in the brain bursts, causing blood to leak into the area surrounding area the brain. While non-surgical options for hemorrhagic stroke can be explored, surgery is often recommended to treat hemorrhagic stroke, especially in life-threatening scenarios.

How to treat stroke with stem cells?

Stem Cell Therapy. Stem cell therapy for stroke involves injecting stem cells into the body , where they travel around looking for damaged cells to restore. The most effective treatments involve injecting the stem cells directly into the brain, but this obviously comes with much higher risks.

How long does it take to recover from a stroke?

Oxygen Therapy. Oxygen therapy is a method of enhancing stroke recovery that involves lying in a chamber while inhaling pure oxygen for 60-90 minutes. Ideally, this increases the amount of oxygen in the brain, which helps promote healing. The idea behind oxygen therapy is this:

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Diagnosis

Treatment

Treatment Outcomes

Clinical Trials

Medically reviewed by
Dr. Karthikeya T M
Your provider will work with you to develop a care plan that may include one or more of these treatment options.
Treatment is based on the type of stroke. For ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack, medication or surgery or both can be recommended and for hemorrhagic stroke, surgery is recommended.
Medication

Clot dissolver: To dissolve clots and reopen arteries.

Plasminogen activator (tPA)


Anticoagulants: Has the effect of retarding or inhibiting the coagulation of blood.

Aspirin . Clopidogrel

Procedures

Catheter mediated intra-arterial thrombolysis: To attain reperfusion in case of ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack.

Angioplasty and stent placement: Widens the blocked artery and a stent is placed.

Aneurysm clipping: To treat a balloon-like bulge of an artery wall known as an aneurysm.

Coil embolization: To treat aneurysm that may have caused hemorrhagic stroke.

Carotid endarterectomy: To correct stenosis (narrowing) in the common carotid artery or internal carotid artery.

AVM removal: Carried out in case of hemorrhagic stroke.

Therapy

Rehabilitation:The rehabilitation is advised to start as early as possible upon recovery. Rehabilitation program will be decided as per the necessity and usually focuses on speech therapy; cognitive therapy; sensory and motor skills; and physical therapy.

Nutrition

Foods to eat:

  • Fruits and vegetables: eat plenty of fruit and vegetables; between 5-7 servings per day
  • Whole grain breads and cereals containing fiber and vitamins: They may reduce the risk of stroke
  • Lean protein: Limiting the amount of cholesterol is another important step in reducing the risk of another stroke
  • Choose low-fat meats or other protein
  • Limit salt: Eating too much salt/sodium may cause you to retain water and raise your blood pressure

Foods to avoid:

  • Heavy cholesterol foods
  • foods rich in salt and sugar
  • Alcohol

Specialist to consult

Neurologist
Specializes in treating diseases of the nervous system, which includes the brain, the spinal cord, and the nerves.
Neuroradiologist
Specializes in the use of radioactive substances, x-rays and scanning devices for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the nervous system.
Occupational therapist
A healthcare professional who helps in development, recovery, or management of everyday activities, or occupations.
Speech therapist
A health professional who specializes in evaluating and treating voice, speech, language, or swallowing disorders.
Physical therapist
A health professional who helps patients reduce pain and improve or restore mobility.

Preparing For Your Appointment

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Things will move quickly once you get to the hospital, as your emergency team tries to determine what type of stroke you're having. That means you'll have a CTscan or other imaging test soon after arrival. Doctors also need to rule out other possible causes of your symptoms, such as a brain tumor or a drug reaction.
See more on mayoclinic.org

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