When a stroke occurs, it is extremely important to determine which area of the brain this pathology has affected, since a lot will depend on it: symptoms, treatment of the disease, and in many cases the consequences that a person will have to face. Despite the fact that this disease in itself proceeds identically in both hemispheres of the brain. In both situations, a sharp oxygen starvation of the cells of this organ develops, which is the main reason for their death.
We will understand why there is a stroke on the right side of the brain.
Signs of occurrence
Right-sided stroke is manifested, as a rule, by disorders of many motor functions, which are most intensively manifested on the reverse side of the localization of lesions. This means that the patient may have a disturbed gait, numbness in some parts of the body, paralysis, and loss of sensitivity in the left side of the body. However, these are far from all the signs and main manifestations. There are a number of symptoms that are characteristic of this variety of pathological processes in the body. These include:
- pronunciation problems, impaired motor function of the tongue;
- numbness of some parts of the face;
- vomiting and severe dizziness;
- cramping
- violation of coordination of movement and loss of orientation in space;
- hearing impairment.
Even minor symptoms that occur several hours before the onset of a stroke can suggest certain violations of the brain in the right hemisphere. And if you take timely medical care during this period, there is an opportunity to avoid the development of this disease to acute, severe forms.
Recognizing the symptoms of a right-sided stroke is fairly simple. For this, it is necessary to ask the patient to raise his hands up, smile or stick his tongue out. In cases where one part of the body functions worse than the other, the first symptoms of a stroke on the right side of the brain are obvious. In addition, the presence of a pathological process can be indicated by constant stumbling when walking, a headache of an atypical nature, weakness, which is observed against the background of an increase in blood pressure or during minor physical exertion.
Causes of right-sided stroke
Factors that can trigger the onset of a stroke in the right brain can be very diverse. Often there are the following prerequisites, which are basic in determining the causes of the disease:
- increase in blood cholesterol;
- overweight;
- chronic diseases of the heart and blood vessels;
- kidney ailments;
- the presence of bad habits - alcoholism, smoking;
- high levels of psycho-emotional overload;
- the use of oral contraceptives;
- maintaining a passive lifestyle.
But one should not exclude the influence of other pathologies, for example, such as various injuries and head injuries, the formation of aneurysms, etc.
It is difficult to say which type of stroke is considered the most dangerous, since damage to the left part of the brain affects all the psychoemotional processes of the nervous system, the patient may become deeply depressed or vice versa - begin to behave aggressively. In such cases, it is very difficult to get a person out of this state without the help of special antidepressants and psychological help, since the patient, as a rule, is not set up for recovery. Even after a long period of rehabilitation, the symptoms may not go away for a long time, resulting in disorders such as migraine, unstable emotional state and irritability.
As for a stroke on the right side of the brain, patients in these cases often lose their ability to basic functional capabilities of the body, moreover, their recovery will take much more time. Such people sometimes have to re-learn to walk, talk, write, restore the sensitivity of their fingers and control their bodies. However, since the patient’s mental state is normal, it is easier for such a patient to fight for recovery.
Ischemic stroke of the right side of the brain, as a rule, proceeds and develops very quickly. This pathology occurs in 70% of cases in people after 55 years, although there are cases when a stroke has occurred even in pregnant women and children.
The main signs of a right-sided stroke
The main sign of a stroke on the right side of the brain is high blood pressure, loss of orientation in space, vomiting, migraine-like pain in the head, difficulty speaking and impaired vision, numbness of fingers, abdominal cramps, and lack of sensitivity of the extremities. Such manifestations can appear spontaneously or proceed almost imperceptibly for the patient and others, developing gradually and over time becoming more painful.
What are the consequences of an ischemic stroke on the right side? We will talk about this a bit later.
Features of ischemic stroke
The main feature of ischemic stroke is the formation of aneurysm, which is a specific pathology of the right carotid and right cerebral arteries, which can cause hemorrhages and disruption of blood vessels. Therefore, great physical exertion, head injuries, or even childbirth can trigger a stroke in the right brain.
The prognosis of a stroke on the right side of the brain is discussed below.
Extensive right-sided stroke
If the foci of damage to areas of the brain are located only in a specific part of the right department pointwise, the disease often affects all of this part. In this case, all motor abilities of the human body can suffer immediately. Such symptoms appear very brightly, swiftly and painfully. Nerve cells of the brain die literally in a matter of minutes, so it is very important to provide the patient with medical care and hospitalization in time. The degree of damage to the cerebral cortex in this situation can be moderate or severe.
Features of lacunar strokes on the right side of the brain
The main difference between right-sided lacunar strokes and other types is that the so-called "lacunae" form in the brain. They can appear after myocardial infarction, as well as from improper functioning of the cardiovascular system. These lacunae can clog vessels, which prevents oxygen from entering the right side of the brain. The consequences of a stroke on the right side of the brain can be very serious.
Effects
The result of a stroke in such a case may be a partial or absolute loss of physical ability, which entails disability, the occurrence of pressure sores, cerebral edema, loss of speech skills. However, this may depend on the degree of the disease, as well as on the age of the patient. Certain functions are restored the very next day after the onset of a stroke, however, a person may encounter the following problems:
- paralysis;
- numbness of the limbs, trunk and face (partially or completely);
- speech disorder;
- cerebral edema;
- loss of sensitivity of certain parts of the body.
The consequences of a stroke on the right side of the brain are manifested in different ways.
Right-sided stroke diagnosis
As for the diagnostic methods used to determine this disease, they are performed when the first symptomatic signs appear or when a person is at risk. In this case, it is necessary to undergo external examinations, ultrasound of the vessels, regularly undergo tests, do a tomography, after which it will be possible to establish a diagnosis and develop an adequate treatment plan for a stroke on the right side of the body.
Treatment of the consequences
The treatment of such a violation includes a number of rules and recommendations of a doctor, which should be followed strictly, especially in cases where the age is 45-60 years.
Treatment of the consequences of pathology includes:
- Diet.
- Necessary physical activity.
- Drug correction.
- Massage.
- The treatment of chronic diseases.
- Swimming.
- Rejection of bad habits.
- Lowering cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
Right-sided hemorrhagic type stroke
This type of stroke is much more dangerous than everyone else, although it happens much less often and only in cases of heart disease. This pathology is expressed in a more acute course of symptoms and complication of consequences. In case of untimely provision of medical care, the patient may fall into a coma, he may begin cerebral edema.
Features of the onset of hemorrhagic stroke of the right department
The peculiarity of the course of a right-sided stroke of this type is that the blood vessels are clogged by blood clots, after which they may rupture, while the blood spills out through the walls of the vessels. Such a process is practically irreversible, and over time, a person’s condition only worsens. It is very important to understand that with the development of this pathology, hemorrhage in the brain, the formation of aneurysms and lacunae can begin.
Often the right side is paralyzed during a stroke.
Symptoms of right-sided stroke
Symptoms of this type of disease can be similar to those that occur with ischemic stroke, but they occur even more sharply, but without an increase, which explains the instant entry of the patient's condition into the acute phase. The precursors of such a pathology can be severe hypertension, shortness of breath, dizziness, migraine, pain in the heart, brain trauma, high physical exertion. Further - loss of consciousness, numbness of the limbs, loss of sensation, vomiting, paralysis.
How to detect a stroke on the right side of the brain?
Diagnosis of a stroke of the right brain
Diagnosis in this case is practically no different from that which determines the presence of other types of stroke. The patient, even with chronic heart diseases or injuries, must urgently consult a doctor for tomography, cardiography, blood pressure measurement, tests, ultrasound diagnostics. And only after carrying out these measures it will be possible to make an accurate diagnosis and determine what type of stroke occurs in each individual case, the presence of extraneous pathologies and develop a treatment tactic.
The danger of right-sided hemorrhagic stroke
If we are talking about the dangers that may occur during the development of this disease, then a hemorrhagic stroke in the right part leads to irreparable changes in the cerebral cortex, which can often be accompanied by hemorrhages. Because of this, with such a stroke on the right side, restoration of health takes much longer than after the ischemic type, however, some body abilities will not be restored even after a long rehabilitation period. Patients often fall into a coma, after which they become disabled, since this condition is characterized by irreversible processes of cell death of this vital organ.
Treatment of a pathological disorder
Treatment may include taking medication, as well as eliminating the main causes of the onset of right-sided stroke. The patient will have to avoid stressful situations, significantly reduce physical activity, limit the use of coffee and alcoholic beverages, refuse nicotine, constantly see a doctor, monitor blood pressure and cholesterol, attend special physiotherapeutic procedures in the hospital to recover from a stroke on the right side of the brain.
The consequences of a stroke in the right hemisphere
The most serious consequences after suffering this type of stroke are cerebral edema, disability, coma and partial loss of physical ability. Patients often suffer from secondary strokes, which are even worse than primary ones. A complication of these processes is the fact that the functions of the body, including restoration, are already seriously impaired.
In people after an ischemic stroke on the right side, concomitant chronic diseases begin to develop, in particular, diseases of the cardiovascular system, which contribute to insufficient blood circulation in the brain. Motor functions in people who have had a stroke can recover partially, but in some cases, especially severe ones, patients remain bedridden. This is due to the fact that they often irrevocably lose their ability to walk and move, which is caused by a serious violation in the central nervous system.
We examined the consequences of a stroke on the right side. How many people live after such a pathology?
If the tomography data reflect a large area of brain damage, then the prognosis will be unfavorable. Either death occurs within a few days (60–70%), or the patient becomes disabled (30–40%).
As a result of the developed complications, in the future a person dies in 1-2 years. But there is a percentage of cases (10-15%) when people live more than ten years after a stroke.