Is it possible to live a normal life after a stroke? How do you recover?

Your loved one has just undergone a stroke. Nothing is certain yet, but are you worried that he or she will suffer a lifelong disability? Statistics say that 40% Poles die within the first month after undergoing a stroke. Is there a post-stroke prevention that will bring solace to the patient? Find out now how to prevent the negative effects of an ischaemic stroke.

What happens to our body during a stroke?

During a stroke, blood flow to the brain is suddenly interrupted, leading to ischaemia (lack of sufficient oxygen and nutrients) in specific areas of the brain. This is a serious condition that can have deplorable consequences for health and life.

The main causes of stroke are:

1. Thrombosis - as a result of a clot (blood clot) inside a blood vessel that blocks blood flow. 
2. Embolism - the blockage of a blood vessel by a foreign object, such as a piece of tissue or a thrombus that moves from elsewhere in the body.

In response to a stroke, the body responds with various defence mechanisms, but the effectiveness of these responses may be limited. The main changes in the body during a stroke are:

1. Ischaemic area - the brain needs a constant supply of oxygen and glucose to function normally. Ischaemia leads to damage to neurons and other brain cells in the areas affected by the stroke. 
2. Inflammation - in response to damage, the immune system activates the inflammatory process in the damaged areas of the brain, which can further aggravate the patient's condition. 
3. Cerebral oedema - tissue damage can lead to cerebral oedema, which increases intracranial pressure and can be life-threatening. 
4. Neurological disorders - depending on the area of the brain affected by the stroke, the patient may experience various neurological disorders such as paresis, loss of sensation, speech disorders, vision problems, etc. 

Prompt medical response to stroke is crucial to minimise brain damage and improve the chances of recovery. Early treatment can significantly improve a patient's prognosis and reduce the risk of complications.

What can a person do after a stroke to recover physically and mentally?

The greatest difficulty for people after a stroke is full recovery. It is important to provide appropriate care to such people as soon as possible. As mentioned earlier, post-stroke 40% Poles do not live past the first month. Therefore, an appropriate rehabilitation programme should be implemented very quickly in order not to expose the post-stroke patient to a repeat hospital stay.

Physical rehabilitation

Only one in three people goes to rehabilitation after a stroke. And it is a necessary factor for recovery. A stroke patient should not be allowed to lie idle in bed. Those who end up in a stroke unit have an easier task - because they can start post-stroke rehabilitation almost immediately. If you miss out on such a facility, you should be referred to a physiotherapist who will carry out treatments on the National Health Service or you can opt for private treatments.

The most important function of neurological rehabilitation is to restore, to the maximum extent possible, the functions lost as a result of cerebral ischaemia. If, for some reason, a full recovery is not possible, then rehabilitation exercises are carried out to improve quality of life and allow one to function, for example, with one paralysed arm. 

A wise and planned diet

A stroke does not come from nowhere. In order to cause it, several specific criteria must be met like:

• chronic inflammatory conditions,
• overweight,
• smoking,
• low physical activity.

This makes diet a factor in recovery. There is no one-size-fits-all method of nutrition. Patients are advised to choose their diet individually, taking into account their specific needs. 

People with diabetes should follow a different diet, people with lipid metabolism disorders should follow a different one, and overweight people should eat a different diet. In order to establish an appropriate nutrition profile, which will be perfectly tailored to your needs, it is recommended to visit a specialist, such as a dietician Jakub Puchalski - https://puchalskidietetyk.pl/. Meeting with an experienced nutritionist will allow you to approach the problem holistically and take into account all your needs. 

In addition, the patient should avoid tobacco smoke and alcohol consumption as much as possible during this particularly difficult and decisive time, as this can cause a secondary stroke, which can have deplorable consequences.

Support from loved ones

The simplest solution - and so often overlooked. After experiencing numerous motor, but also mental dysfunctions, people after a haemorrhagic stroke find it hard to adapt to their new reality. A large proportion of post-stroke patients do not fully recover, which involves providing care for such a person. In this case, aggression or depressive states may often occur on the part of the patient. Therefore, the motivation and support of loved ones is extremely valuable in the recovery process.

Alternative forms of stroke control

In addition to proper diet and rehabilitation, there are other, less common methods that can be used to speed up recovery. These include, among others, music therapy, acupuncture, tai-chi or peptides - find out more about the action, innovative substance bpc 157.

BPC 157 - a peptide that facilitates recovery from stroke

The bpc 157 peptide is a 15 amino acid that can be extracted from human gastric juice. Why would a substance found in gastric juice help in any way to minimise the negative effects of a stroke? According to the study, the peptide provides benefits for the brain and nervous system. It has been meticulously tested on rats and mice and the effects have yielded satisfactory results. 

One of the greatest benefits of the product is attributed to its ability to alter certain genes in the body by reacting with nitric oxide. This enables faster muscle and joint regeneration, which is extremely important in post-stroke rehabilitation.

Animal experiments have also shown that post-stroke rats taking BPC 157 10 mg  had repaired damage to the neurons in the brain - that is, the cells that are responsible for sending information in the brain.

How to dose the peptide after a stroke?

According to the available recommendations, substances should be taken in appropriate doses:

• post-stroke: 500 mg daily,
• prophylactically: 250 mg daily.

Action bpc 157 has so far shown no adverse effects and the substance itself is well tolerated by the human body. Experts advise that the preparation should not be taken in tablet form due to its rapid digestion and low stability in the acidic environment of the stomach. More stable tablet forms will work, but this will be at a much higher cost than, for example, bpc 157 given by spray or injection.