A stroke or stroke is an acute violation of cerebral circulation. It manifests itself as a fast (within several hours or even minutes) manifestation of cerebral or focal symptoms of neurological damage to the brain. The signs of this defeat are discussed below. If you do not provide timely medical care to such a patient, a fatal outcome will inevitably follow. The patient must be urgently taken to a medical institution. Patients who have already been prescribed and started treatment in the first two hours after the incident have a positive prognosis in most cases. With a diagnosis of stroke, treatment at home is possible only after discharge from the hospital. It gives its positive results in the recovery phase after a disease.
Stroke - what is it
Strokes can be of two types - hemorrhagic and ischemic. Strokes mean:
- subarachnoid hemorrhage is a hemorrhage in the cavity located between the pia mater and the cobweb, which most often occurs as a result of rupture of the aneurysm or due to a head injury (traumatic brain injury);
- intracerebral hemorrhage most often occurs due to rupture of the walls of the vessels of the brain as a result of their pathological change;
- cerebral infarction or ischemic stroke - a brain substance is damaged and its functions are impaired due to the cessation of blood supply to a particular part of the brain.
Causes of hemorrhagic strokes
The cause of parenchymal hemorrhage is most often hypertension or the development of secondary hypertension in diseases of the kidneys or impaired functioning of the endocrine glands, for example, the adrenal glands. Also, these hemorrhages can occur as a result of connective tissue disease, for example, with lupus erythematosus, vasculitis, hemorrhagic diathesis, sepsis or after a head injury. Hemorrhage, as a rule, occurs as a result of rupture of the vascular wall, but sometimes it is possible due to increased permeability of the vessel wall. Hemorrhagic strokes are in the form of hematomas or blood impregnation of brain tissue. If the hematoma has clear boundaries, sometimes they resort to surgical treatment, in this case a neurosurgical operation is performed and the hematoma is simply removed.
Causes of Ischemic Strokes
Brain infarctions or ischemic strokes are divided into thrombotic and non-thrombotic. In both cases, blood flow is disturbed, and arterial blood stops supplying one or another part of the brain, as a result of which neurons change and cascading chemical reactions occur that lead to cerebral infarction. Necrosis of a certain part of the brain or ischemic stroke is formed. Treatment with folk remedies along with medication can give a positive effect. But it is better to carry it out during the rehabilitation period.
Stroke. Symptoms and treatment
Symptoms of strokes can occur as follows:
- unexpected, sharp appearance of weakness and feelings of numbness or paralysis in the limbs (arm, leg) or face on one side;
- difficulty in slurred speech;
- unexpected, sudden visual impairment of one eye, less often than both, sometimes there is a loss of half of the visual fields in both eyes;
- sudden dizziness, impaired coordination of movements;
- sudden headaches;
- nausea or vomiting may occur.
In addition to the above, depending on the location of the brain lesion, partial or complete paralysis of one side of the body may occur. If the brain lesion is on the right, then the left half of the body suffers, and vice versa, with the localization of the focus in the left hemisphere, paralysis occurs on the right side of the body. 
If there is a stroke on the left side, the treatment is aimed at eliminating the so-called "three hemi" syndrome, we explain that this:
- hemiplegia - paralysis (complete immobilization) or paresis (limb partially does not work) of the right arm and leg;
- hemihypesthesia - all types of sensitivity on the paralyzed side are absent;
- hemianopsia - half blindness or loss of half of the visual field in each eye.
The farther the lesion is from the left hemisphere, the less upset motor functions. The right hemisphere of the brain is responsible for other functions. So, if there is a stroke on the right side, the treatment is aimed at restoring respiratory function, regulating water-electrolyte balance and includes neuroprotective therapy.
All of the above symptoms can be disturbing in both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. If one or more of these symptoms occur, it is urgent to call emergency care and deliver the patient to the hospital. These clinical manifestations make it possible to suspect a stroke in him. Treatment with folk remedies at this stage is unacceptable. It can be used only after the patient is discharged from the hospital. Alternative methods of treatment showed themselves well in the recovery phase. If you suspect an acute stroke, it is advisable to start treatment in the first two hours after the attack. It is necessary to dwell in more detail on the specific differences of ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes.
If with an ischemic stroke the symptoms of the disease can occur gradually, for example, a narrowing of the vessel occurred, then with hemorrhage (hemorrhagic stroke) they appear suddenly and immediately, because there is a sharp cessation of blood supply to some part of the brain.
Nutrition for stroke patients
When caring for a patient who is diagnosed with a stroke, before starting feeding it for the first time, you should make sure that swallowing functions are not impaired. For this, the patient is allowed to swallow water from a spoon, if everything went well, then continue feeding with warm liquid food (broth, juice). In the first few days, the patient is fed only liquid and mashed high-calorie food. Food should contain a large amount of protein and carbohydrates, they are necessary for the patient to maintain strength and recovery.
Often, with the defeat of certain parts of the brain, patients may lack appetite. They must be fed, but then the portions are reduced, and the number of feeds is increased. It is important that the patient takes food.
If the patient is unconscious, then his treatment takes place in the intensive care unit. Feeding of such patients is done parenterally (through a vein).
Basic therapy
With a diagnosis of stroke, drug treatment takes place only in a hospital. Such patients must be hospitalized. Basic therapy is prescribed to the patient regardless of the stroke.
- Treatment (medication) is aimed at normalizing brain metabolism. For this purpose, Cerebrolysin, Piracetam are prescribed.
- The water-salt balance is supported by Disol, Ringer's solution and potassium chloride.
- Be sure to direct treatment to normalize the functioning of vital organs: normalize respiratory function and blood pressure, as well as stimulate myocardial contractility.
- If there is a high temperature in a patient with a diagnosis of stroke, treatment (antipyretic drugs) is sent to combat hyperthermia. For these purposes, lytic mixtures (analgin, diphenhydramine, papaverine) can be used.
- To reduce high intracranial pressure and prevent brain edema, “Lasix” and “Mannitol” preparations are used, they help to remove excess fluid from the body.
- Trental and Reopoliglyukin preparations are prescribed to improve blood microcirculation in the vessels of the brain.
- Antihypoxic drugs (Actovegin, Hypoxene) are prescribed to combat brain hypoxia.
Differentiated therapy
Differentiated therapy is carried out depending on the type of stroke. In ischemic stroke, in addition to basic therapy, in the first hours (2-6 hours), treatment is carried out aimed at preventing the death of brain neurons, the localization of which is located around the lesion (necrosis). To do this, apply:
- fibrinoloitics;
- neuroprotectors;
- heparin therapy;
- anticoagulants.
With a hemorrhagic stroke, the patient should adhere to strict bed rest for the 21st day. You can not only get up and walk, but also sit in bed and even roll over on your own. Any tension should be excluded, even during bowel movements or coughing, laxatives and, if necessary, antitussive drugs are prescribed. To reduce psychomotor agitation, sodium oxybutyrate or Seduxen is used. In order to increase blood coagulation and prevent further hemorrhage, aminocaproic acid is prescribed. To exclude DIC, enzyme preparations "Trasilol", "Gordoks", "Kontrikal" are used.
In addition to drug treatment for hemorrhagic stroke, surgical intervention is often used.
Alternative treatments for stroke
It should be remembered that the disease is very serious - an acute stroke, treatment with folk remedies can only be an addition to the main drug therapy. So, for example, even some doctors say that chewing regular gum will help restore blood circulation after an ischemic stroke, because at the same time, many head muscles work and, as a result, it improves blood supply to the brain.
If a stroke occurs, treatment with folk remedies to help the main involves many recipes using conifers.
Pine cones in the fight against the consequences of a stroke occupy a worthy place. They contain many useful substances: volatile, vitamins, and most importantly - tannins, their special form, which is able to prevent damage to brain cells. After a stroke, brain cell death continues due to exposure to the PRAG enzyme. Tannins in pine cones. able to act on this enzyme and block it, thus, cell death is significantly reduced.
The recipe itself is quite simple. Take 5 pine cones, rinse them and pour 200 ml of medical alcohol. Insist the medicine in a dark place for 14 days. Take 1 teaspoon with a warm drink 1 time per day after meals.
To recover from a disease after a stroke, treatment with folk remedies recommends several recipes using spruce needles:
- Collect 1 liter of needles and pour it with three liters of hot water, boil for 15 minutes. Tea for recovery is ready. It is recommended to drink it whenever you want, but always with lemon, you can add honey.
- A similar recipe using pine needles is also simple. A large handful of needles are poured into a thermos and poured with one liter of boiling water. The night is infused, after which you need to add the sliced lemon slices and insist for another 2 hours. The medicine is ready. You can drink it anytime, you can with honey.
Many stroke patients continue treatment at home after discharge from the hospital. Folk remedies using lemon for these purposes are widely known. This is understandable, because lemon is a natural antioxidant. The substances contained in its composition are able to thin the blood, which prevents the formation of blood clots. These properties of lemon are used in rehabilitation treatment for patients who have ischemic stroke. Treatment with folk remedies, which include lemon, also perfectly stimulates the immune system. This supports the overall positive dynamics of recovery for patients weakened by the disease and can serve as a prevention of repeated strokes.
To prepare the medicine, it is enough to thoroughly washed and dried lemon pass through a meat grinder along with the skin and mix in arbitrary proportions with honey. This remedy can be added to tea at each tea party or just spread it on a thin loaf. It is advisable that the lemon be thin-skinned.
Stroke. Home treatment
After discharge from the hospital, the patient's relatives are at a loss. How to help a loved one recover after an illness? First of all, you need to calm down and be patient. The recovery process will not be fast.
Relatives become first assistants for stroke patients. Home treatment with proper care is effective. When caring for patients who have impaired motor function, loved ones help them learn to walk again. It should be borne in mind that such patients should be supported only from the affected side of the body, i.e. if the patient has paralysis or paresis on the right side, then support is also provided there, and vice versa.
Conclusion
With the diagnosis of ischemic stroke, alternative treatment, correctly selected along with medical and well-organized care, will certainly help patients recover faster and return to a full life. A stroke is not a sentence. It is important that the patient is not alone with his illness. The support of loved ones is very important for him.