Strokes affect people in different ways, depending on the location of injury in the brain and how quickly the victim were treated. Some people who have a stroke have no lasting effects. Others lose important brain functions.

Here are some of the most common long-term problems that can be caused by a stroke:

• Speech problems – People who have a stroke sometimes partially or completely lose the ability to speak, have slurred or garbled speech or difficulty understanding speech. Some of these speech problems may be termed aphasia or dysarthria.
• Weakness and movement problems  – The muscle weakness can affect the one side of the body, including face, arm, and leg. The medical term for this is “hemiparesis.” People who have a stroke can also have trouble walking, grasping objects, balancing,  or compromised ability to make planned movements.
• Partial loss of sensation – People who have a stroke sometimes have partial or total loss of sensation on one side of their body.
• Trouble eating or swallowing – People who have a stroke sometimes have trouble swallowing and risk causing food to go down the wrong way and into the lungs. This can be dangerous because it can lead to lung infections, such as pneumonia.
• Problems thinking clearly or interacting with others – People who have a stroke sometimes get confused easily, have trouble staying focused or can have personality changes, including depression.
• Depression – People who have a stroke also sometimes get depressed. This can make recovery even harder. It’s important to get treated for depression after a stroke.
• Problems with vision: Stroke can lead to blindness of varying degress including loss of certain segments of the visual field.
• Problems with other bodily functions such as bladder control – People who have a stroke sometimes lose bladder control or leak urine.

What happens during recovery from a stroke?

During recovery, people work to regain some of the abilities they lost.  Even though a part of their brain was damaged by the stroke, their brain can re-learn how to do some of the things it used to do. People who lose the ability to speak can often re-learn how to speak or at least how to communicate to some degree. In the same way, people who lose the ability to walk can sometimes re-learn to walk.

Often recovery involves treatment in a stroke “rehabilitation” facility, also called stroke “rehab.” In rehab, various medical professionals help people with a stroke get back to a functional life.

These medical professionals may include a physical therapist to help walk and regain strength, a speech and language therapist to improve swallowing, eating or speaking, an occupational therapist to help patients adapt and become more functional with daily tasks, such as learning new ways of holding a brush. Nutritionists, psychiatrists may also be involved. Of course physicians and neurologists will likely be involved in helping coordinate and make adjustments in medications if needed.

What are the chances of full recovery after a stroke?

The chances of making a full recovery depend on a lot of factors, such as the extent of the stroke and how quickly the patient was  treated, which part of the brain affected, the age of the person and other medical conditions (such as heart disease, cancer etc), and functional status of the person before the stroke. New advances are helping patients recover faster and completely. Medical supports and equipment allow a person to be as functional as possible.

The most important thing a stroke patient can do to help make this happen is to be patient, stick with rehab and do all the exercises, treatments and therapies the healthcare team recommends.