CEREBRAL VASCULAR ACCIDENT (CVA): FROM CAUSES TO CONSEQUENCES

It regularly tells the frequency and risk factors of stroke , much less the consequences and the possibility of recovery. If complications are sometimes very dark, it is important to know.

What causes an ischemic stroke (stroke)?

An accident vascular cerebral (AVC) is ischemic in 80% of cases, that is to say that it is due to obstruction of an artery . Brain cells are no longer irrigated, they do not receive enough oxygen and glucose normally carried by the blood, which can cause lesions more or less extensive.

Note that when we speak of an accident transient ischemic attack (TIA or mini-stroke), cerebral blood supply is reduced but not halted, and is often a precursor of a stroke is imminent.
Within 20% of the remaining cases, the stroke is hemorrhagic, that is to say that results from the rupture of a cerebral vessel.

In all cases, the consequences of a stroke depend largely on how early intervention. In other words, the more we act soon to restore cerebral perfusion, the less damage will be substantial.

There are also signs that should alert and bring to consult urgently:

• Sudden weakness or paralysis of a limb or one side of the body.
• Sudden decrease or loss of vision particularly in one eye.
• Confusion, impaired speech and comprehension.
• Loss of balance and coordination with falls.
• Sudden severe headache with no obvious cause.
• Abnormalities or loss of sensation in an arm, leg or one side of the body.

What are the consequences of a stroke?

They depend on the speed of care, extent of area affected and the brain area affected. Thus, the effects can range from a paralysis that recovers quickly to a permanent severe disability. In most cases, functional recovery occurs within days to months because if brain cells were destroyed, others can take over, not to mention the fact that brain plasticity than other areas of the brain can develop functions replacement. There are however cases where the paralysis becomes permanent, accompanied by difficulty swallowing, speaking and carrying out activities of daily living. Many other symptoms may occur: impaired memory, thinking, learning, emotion, narrowing of peripheral vision, hearing loss , loss of sphincter control (urinary incontinence), etc..

On ischemic stroke, we consider that neurological disorders that persist beyond six months shall become final, while in cases of hemorrhagic stroke, improvements can be expected over several months or even years.

Functional rehabilitation after stroke

Besides the potential for improvement because of the legacy of extraordinary abilities and compensatory function of the brain, intensive rehabilitation can help improve disability and to overcome them.
Rehabilitation sessions can be recovered and / or acquire new capabilities to offset the muscle functional deficits. The objective is to minimize disability and improve quality of life. For this, patience and perseverance are essential. Recall that the total recovery or much is possible in some cases (35%).
Rehabilitation is initiated in the hospital as soon as the patient's condition allows it, then continued as an outpatient, nursing home, rehabilitation, or home.

The management of stroke is medical, but also social (human assistance, material, financial). When returning home, a visit is needed to assess needs and to assess the usability of the site. If adaptation of the living conditions the quality of life, it is also influenced positively by the therapeutic education of the entourage?
And finally, it is imperative, in addition to monitoring and rehabilitation, pay attention to the risk of falls and urinary incontinence because these two points interfere heavily on the quality of life.