Stroke, also known as cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or brain attack, refers to a group of local blood circulation disorders caused by local cerebrovascular lesions. The disease is characterized by acute brain dysfunction and often leaves patients with many sequelae.
Limb Paralysis
Hemiplegia is the most common sequelae of stroke. It is characterized by reduced muscle strength, impaired movement, or complete inability to move on one side of the body. Hemiplegic patients often have sensory disorders on the same side of the body, such as loss of temperature sensation or lack of pain perception. Sometimes there may be visual field defects, resulting in an inability to see objects on the paralyzed side when looking straight ahead.
Numbness
The affected limb, especially the extremities such as fingers or toes, or the skin on the paralyzed side of the face, may have a tingling or pricking sensation, or a dull response to stimuli. Numbness is often associated with weather changes, especially during rapid weather changes, humid and hot weather, or before and after rain, and cold weather, numbness is particularly noticeable.
Aphasia
Aphasia is also a major sequelae of stroke and has various types.
In motor aphasia, patients can understand others' speech but cannot express themselves, only able to say simple and incoherent single words that others cannot understand.
In sensory aphasia, there is no language expression barrier, but patients cannot understand others' speech or their own speech, resulting in irrelevant responses. If both of the above conditions exist in a patient, it is called mixed aphasia.
In naming aphasia, patients can see an object and describe its use, but cannot name it.
Cognitive Impairment
With extensive or recurrent strokes, there may be mental and cognitive impairments. This is manifested as a decline in memory and calculation abilities, sluggishness, inability to read or write, and eventually progressing to dementia. Patients may also exhibit abnormal personalities such as delirium, depression, mood swings, and emotional lability.
Facial Asymmetry
Facial paralysis caused by cerebral hemorrhage, with facial muscle paralysis below one side of the eye bag. This is characterized by a shallow nasolabial groove, drooping of the corner of the mouth, and showing teeth. When puffing the cheeks or whistling, the corner of the mouth deviates towards the healthy side, drooling may occur, and it becomes more pronounced during speech.
Swallowing Difficulty
Eating or drinking can easily lead to choking, and severe cases can cause aspiration pneumonia, suffocation, or even respiratory arrest.
