Changes Caused by a Stroke
Although stroke is a disease of the brain, it can affect the entire body. A common disability that results from stroke is complete paralysis on one side of the body, called hemiplegia. A related disability that is not as debilitating as paralysis is one-sided weakness or hemiparesis.
Stroke may cause behavior changes, problems with thinking, awareness, attention, learning, judgment, and memory.
Stroke survivors often have trouble swallowing known as dysphagia, or problems understanding or forming speech, a condition known as aphasia. For information about aphasia, go to the National Aphasia Association.
A stroke can lead to emotional problems. Stroke patients may have difficulty controlling their emotions or may express inappropriate emotions. Many stroke patients experience depression. For more information, read read Appendix B of HOPE: A Stroke Recovery Guide.
Stroke survivors may experience decreased field of vision and trouble with visual perception. They may also have numbness or strange sensations. The pain is often worse in the hands and feet and is made worse by movement and temperature changes, especially cold temperatures.
Recurrent stroke is frequent; about 25 percent of people who recover from their first stroke will have another stroke within 5 years.