Why does left-sided paralysis occur?
The brain is the central organ of the nervous system.
It consists of certain zones, each of which is responsible for individual body functions.
When any of these areas are affected, characteristic symptoms appear.
In the development of pathology, the principle of so-called reverse symmetry , i.e. when the right hemisphere of the brain is damaged, paresis of the left side of the body develops.
The right side of the hemisphere is responsible for creativity and the emotional component. When a stroke develops in the right hemisphere, symptoms such as impaired speech or the inability to express thoughts clearly appear, so identifying such a condition is much more difficult.
As practice shows, circulatory disorders in the right side of the brain, in which the left side of the body is paralyzed, occurs in 57% of diagnosed cases.
Important! The main cause of paralysis of the left side of the body is a violation of blood circulation in the right hemisphere of the brain. Parts of the brain cease to be nourished, as a result of which the central nervous system is affected.
Symptoms
The following symptoms can help identify a right-sided stroke:
- the occurrence of headaches and a feeling of numbness in the left side of the body;
- paralysis of the left upper or lower limb. In this regard, when the patient tries to stretch both arms forward, a situation is observed where the left hand lags behind the right;
- patient complaints of dizziness, nausea and weakness;
- left-sided facial paralysis ;
- increased heart rate and pulse;
- decreased visual and hearing ability on the left side;
- the patient’s ability to independently rely exclusively on the right leg;
- impaired logical thinking;
- spasms ;
- at some point, a patient with right hemisphere damage may be found unconscious ;
- with this condition, patients report disturbed sleep, a state of exhaustion and a poor emotional state.
In a situation where a stroke has developed in an elderly patient, a coma is likely to occur, which will last no more than a day. If a person does not regain consciousness within the specified time, then the likelihood of acquiring disability increases at a tremendous rate every day.
Consequences of paralysis
Patients who have suffered a right-sided stroke lose balance , as well as measure and sense of tact.
In addition, a person who has suffered a stroke risks remaining disabled for the rest of his life.
With a right-sided stroke, the consequences can be very severe due to the death of brain cells.
In this case, the functioning of almost the entire body is disrupted .
The affected hemisphere of the brain subsequently does not function at full capacity. When blood circulation is impaired, a feeling of numbness occurs in the fingers. As a result, the patient is unable to hold objects, such as a pen or spoon, in his left hand. The process of tying shoelaces and fastening buttons becomes problematic.
Against the background of a hemorrhagic stroke, the right hemisphere of the brain becomes saturated with blood, which ultimately leads to serious consequences. The further life of such patients will depend on the degree of damage, timeliness of assistance and the rehabilitation process.
If an ischemic stroke of the right hemisphere occurs, then paralysis of the left side of the body develops. Along with this, patients face the following problems:
- Deterioration of motor functions of the arms and legs. This may be accompanied by a feeling of weakness or a complete lack of control over the left arm and leg;
- Loss of sensation in limbs;
- The occurrence of memory problems, which is accompanied by impaired short-term memory;
- If a person is left-handed, then with such a pathology speech is impaired;
- There is a loss of key reflexes, including swallowing or urinary incontinence;
- The emergence and development of post-traumatic epilepsy syndrome.
What to do if there is partial or complete paralysis of the left side of the body after a stroke?
At first, it is important for the patient to adhere to bed rest. After primary therapy, develop the paralyzed area, monitor the norms and diet, and do simple exercises to return motor activity to the limbs.
An individual course of drug treatment is selected for the patient, medications from both traditional and traditional medicine are prescribed. The patient's condition is strictly monitored by specialists.
It will take many months, and possibly years, to restore all human systems after a stroke. The patient’s relatives should be patient, hope only for a positive outcome of the situation and be optimistic - only healthy energy and the smiles of others will help the patient get back on his feet faster and continue to live and develop fully!
Homemade diet
Alternative treatment involves dietary habits. You need to give preference to dairy products and plant-based products. Introduce fruits and berries, cottage cheese, kefir into food; cereal porridges without heat treatment, steamed in water, are perfect.
If your condition improves, you can add lean boiled meat and fish to your diet. Ascorbic acid will help improve immunity and give the body lost vitamins. The diet must be strictly followed.
Rest
Pay attention to the patient's condition; many senses may be lost. Let the patient listen to more radio or watch TV. Try not to leave him alone and communicate more.
It is important what condition the patient’s arms and legs are in. Paralysis involves flexed hands and dropped feet. These positions can lead to stiff muscles. After full recovery, the muscles will be difficult to restore.
Attention! To avoid such consequences, therapeutic exercises or massage should be carried out.
It is necessary to rub the patient’s body and give him a massage three weeks after the stroke; it is believed that at this time the body is ready for recovery.
Herbal treatment
The above recommendations must be strictly followed. You can also take herbs to speed up the recovery process. Traditional medicine knows many recipes that help in restoring the body after.
The first recipe is dried Maryin root. A couple of teaspoons are poured with two hundred grams of boiled water. In this state, the mixture should stand for about five hours.
Two tablespoons a day of infusion will help bring the body in order.
Mumiyo will come to the rescue. It is diluted in water to one hundred grams. You need to drink this mixture once.
Everyone has bay leaves at home; they are medicinal in the fight against stroke. An infusion is prepared from them. First the leaves are ground. Take two hundred grams of sunflower oil and pour three tablespoons of leaves into it. This infusion is not taken orally; it is applied to areas affected by a stroke. The mixture should sit for a week and be used twice daily.
A simple recipe - lemon and garlic. If you add honey to them, the result will exceed all expectations. You need to take one hundred grams of all the listed products and mix them together. The mixture is infused for a week and given a couple of times a day. It is better to give the infusion after meals and one spoon at a time.
To help - celandine. It is crushed in an amount of ten grams and poured with a glass of boiling water. Fifteen minutes are required for infusion. Then it is filtered and consumed orally before meals three times a day.
Beans will help you recover faster after a stroke. The method is widely used in the east and is popular due to its miraculous effects. There is no need to separate the plant. You need to take it completely and fill it with water. The main thing is to tightly close the infusion with a lid and place it in a warm place. The infusion can be drunk in any quantity. Its effect will be noticeable a couple of weeks after use.
Treatment with pine cones is effective. We are talking about a mature plant. You need to take six cones and fill them with pre-diluted alcohol. The alcohol strength should be thirty-five percent. In this form, the mixture should stand for about three weeks. After this, the infusion should be filtered and given to the patient in the form of tea once a day, adding a teaspoon to it.
Oranges and lemons help. Juice is made from them. It must be left for one day. To enhance the effect, add honey. Take the infusion with any liquid and drink one spoon a couple of times a day. Lemons and oranges are used in equal proportions.
Fighting bedsores
During paralysis, the patient remains in one position. This can cause bedsores. The skin begins to wear away, forming wounds that bring pain to the patient. You can prevent the patient from developing bedsores by using special mattresses. You can make them yourself. They should be more than one centimeter thick. A mattress stuffed with hay is ideal.
Remember! Home treatment for stroke can be effective. To do this, you should listen to all the advice at once. Using one method will not lead to quick and positive results.
Massage for paralysis of the left side
The main purpose of massage for stroke is to normalize blood flow to the paralyzed side, eliminate pain and restore muscle tone, eliminate limb spasms, and prevent bedsores.
When performed correctly, the massage improves blood circulation, normalizes the patient's condition, stimulates the gastrointestinal tract, and prevents constipation and flatulence in the abdomen.
Recovery after a stroke with the help of massage helps to improve activity; the patient gains the ability to control the motor activity of the limbs of the paralyzed part. The course of rehabilitation should be carried out only on the recommendation of a doctor.
Therapy
Treatment of stroke includes basic and specific measures. To begin with, the patient is taken to the intensive care unit and undergoes a course of therapy, the purpose of which is to maintain basic vital functions, including blood circulation, breathing, and also eliminate swelling of the brain.
In the case of ischemic stroke, specific anticoagulant and thrombolytic therapy is carried out. In the case of hemorrhagic damage to the right side of the brain, the treatment, on the contrary, will be aimed at the use of drugs that lead to the formation of blood clots and closure of the bleeding.
Important! Rehabilitation involves undergoing physical therapy, a massage course, taking medications and various physiotherapeutic interventions.
Treatment
To achieve a favorable outcome, immediate hospitalization of the patient is required, followed by therapeutic measures, including:
- Restoration of impaired functions associated with the normalization of blood circulation, breathing, swallowing reflex and elimination of epileptic manifestations.
- Prevention of brain swelling, including restoration of water and electrolyte balance.
- Protecting brain cells from the possibility of metabolic disorders.
The earlier treatment is started, the more effective it is. This minimizes the possibility of developing negative consequences and complications after a stroke.
Treatment of paralysis caused by ischemic stroke
As noted earlier, the cause of ischemic stroke is blockage of blood vessels, provoked by a violation of the cerebral blood supply.
Accordingly, therapeutic measures are aimed at eliminating the root causes - thromboembolism or thrombosis of the cerebral arteries.
For this purpose, the patient is prescribed medications from the following drug groups:
- neuroprotectors;
- antiplatelet agents;
- anticoagulants;
- thrombolytics;
- defibrinizing enzymes.
In addition to drug therapy, it is planned to use a set of measures aimed at restoring vital functions.
Therapeutic course for hemorrhagic stroke
Rupture of the vascular wall, provoked by high blood pressure, leads to a hemorrhagic form of stroke. To avoid the fatal outcome characteristic of this form of pathological condition, intensive therapy is carried out.
Exercises
As for physical exercises, it is recommended to begin them immediately after the patient’s general condition has stabilized.
At the initial stage, these exercises are performed in a lying position with the help of another person.
So, for example, you should bend and straighten your left arm and leg, and also try to change the position of the fingers that have been paralyzed.
Once the person is able to stand, the exercises will be performed in a standing position.
It is also worth noting that the intensity of physical activity should correspond to the patient’s condition.
Recovery and rehabilitation
In addition to massage and physical activity, the following manipulations will help restore the body’s functioning:
- have a good effect . In this way, sensitivity is stimulated, which speeds up the rehabilitation process;
- Speech therapy and breathing exercises help restore a person’s ability to express thoughts clearly. They consist in communicating with the patient as much as possible;
- Treatment with leeches demonstrates excellent results ;
- Dietary nutrition is important .
Prognosis of paralysis
Is recovery possible if the left side of the body is paralyzed after a stroke?
The general life prognosis for such patients is favorable.
However, it is important to understand that the process of restoring lost abilities and returning to normal life is determined by several factors.
To begin with, what is important is the fact which part of the brain was affected by the pathological process.
Equally important is the volume of hemorrhage. The smaller it is, the less will be the degree of negative impact on the body. One of the key factors is the speed of first aid. And finally, the prognosis for improvement of the patient’s condition will depend on the chosen recovery methods.
Useful video on the topic:
Is it possible to recover?
Doctors involved in the recovery of patients after a stroke cannot always give a clear prognosis. The fact is that much depends on the desires and efforts of the patient himself and the support of loved ones.
In addition, the following factors are also important:
- Patient's age.
- Severity of stroke.
- How quickly the person was hospitalized.
- Proper organization of rehabilitation.
The sooner the patient’s rehabilitation process begins, the higher the chance of effectively restoring impaired body functions.
If the stroke has minor consequences, you can start activating patients from 5-7 days. In the case of a large heart attack or cerebral hemorrhage, this time increases to 2-3 weeks.
Basic methods of patient recovery:
- Exercise therapy.
- Massage.
- Kinesiotherapy.
- Passive gymnastics.
- Physiotherapy.
- Occupational therapy.
- Drug treatment.
Restoration of motor abilities occurs within six months. During this same period, the recovery process slows down, but does not stop completely. Therefore, it is necessary to continue all prescribed procedures with the same intensity.
We talked in more detail about the stages and timing of recovery after a stroke here.
Care and psychological assistance
Care for these patients will depend on their condition and presenting clinical picture. However, in any case, such people need to be provided with a bed with a raised base at the head. In addition, periodic rubbing of the skin is important for such patients. In order to avoid the formation of bedsores, the patient’s body position should be changed every 3 hours.
Already from 5-6 days after a stroke, you can begin the first measures in terms of rehabilitation. The speed and scale of restoration of lost functions will depend on their regularity and compliance with the patient’s condition. The patient’s chances for maximum recovery depend on how early rehabilitation is started.
If the patient’s loved ones have decided to independently care for him, then they should undergo a special course for the rehabilitation of such patients. However, if the condition of a person with a stroke is extremely serious, then it is better to entrust his care to a professional. In order for a person to be able to independently care for himself and gradually return to everyday life, he needs to re-master these skills.
Important! Psychological assistance is an essential component of recovery. The altered emotional state of such a person may be caused either by the stroke or by a reaction to it.
At a minimum, such a person should be provided with a comfortable and favorable psychological climate, communicate with him and avoid any disputes and conflict situations. If relatives are unable to establish contact with such a patient, then they can resort to the help of a professional psychologist, who should increase the patient’s motivation to recover.
Treatment of stroke at home: paralysis of the right side
The likelihood of returning to a full life for a person who has suffered a stroke is high only if he is given the necessary medications in the first hours after the incident.
Treatment with drugs
The complexity of the stroke should also be taken into account. Doctors calculated the approximate recovery time depending on the complexity of the disease:
- An ischemic stroke with minimal neurological deficit will require 2-3 months for complete recovery.
- Severe neurological deficit (severe limb paralysis). Full recovery is rare, but a partial recovery option with self-care options will require 6 months.
- Extensive stroke and persistent neurological deficit lead to disability. It will take 1-2 years for a patient to be able to sit independently after such a stroke. Full recovery is impossible.
Neurological deficits indicate the extent to which neurons in the brain have died. It is not possible to restore the affected areas, but it is possible to develop the former functions due to the healthy cells that remain. We can talk about a favorable prognosis for recovery in any of the options, because no one knows the individual characteristics of a person.
