Some effects of stroke
A stroke can affect a person physically and emotionally. It can also affect their thinking and behavior.
Symptoms
Here are some of the areas that doctors will check for potential stroke-related issues:
- Behavior and emotions: Mood, initiation, apathy, social skills, awareness, insight, impulsivity, anger, agitation, anxiety, and depression
- Body functions: Bowel, bladder, skin, nutrition, swallowing, respiratory health, and vision
- Communication: General communication, language impairment (aphasia), and motor speech disorder (apraxia)
- Lymphedema: Understanding risks and manual lymphatic drainage techniques for upper and lower extremities
- Nutrition: Diet and exercise, decreasing sodium intake, reading food labels, and food group recommendations
- Positioning and mobility: Splinting, bracing, positioning, and transfers
- Thinking and memory: Arousal, attention, concentration, memory, and problem-solving
Other problems may arise that are not listed. Some problems affect many people, while others seldom occur. Types of problems, as well as length and amount of recovery, vary considerably from person to person depending on the location, type, and extent of their stroke.