When a person suddenly experiences a mild stroke, what really is the extent of the damage done? Is it really necessary to see the doctor, or to undergo therapy? Is there such a thing as mild stroke recovery?
A mild stroke, or a Transient Ischemic Attack, can be thought of as a baby stroke. It is caused by a blocked blood vessel in the brain, usually because of a narrowed blood vessel and a blood clot. The blood vessels become narrowed because of cholesterol-filled deposits (called plaque) that line the blood vessels. The clot happens when pieces of these plaque break off and travel with the blood. Or, other times, a blood clot could block these narrowed vessels. This blockage is temporary, as it is only a mild stroke. The body usually needs 24 hours for mild stroke recovery.
Many people, surprisingly younger ones, often experience mild strokes. They often pass it off as fatigue or signs of stress and aging. Some of them who know that they’re having a mild stroke just shrug the symptoms off, insisting its “just a mild stroke”. But, mild strokes actually can’t be ignored or shrugged aside. Mild strokes are like your body’s way of saying there’s something wrong, and you better get down to it pretty soon. Around 40% of people who have had mild strokes experience more after a couple of weeks, and half of these experience a full-blown stroke in even less time.
But, as stated above, a mild stroke is temporary. The body finds a way to resolve the block, thus the brain resumes its normal functioning after 24 hours or less. Since it’s temporary, then there really aren’t any lasting damages to the brain. The brain can sustain dull activity or strained activity up until 24 hours, so until it rights itself, there will be no permanent damage to the brain. Mild stroke recovery, as doctors suggest, is just to continue your usual daily activities, but modify them quite a bit, depending on the prognosis of your doctor. If it was found out that you have too much cholesterol, then you’ll be given medication for lowering it, and you’ll need to stay away from those mojos and chips. If it’s the lack of physical activity, then you’d be recommended to have time for a short exercise regime each day.
Recent theories, however, say that some patients who had one too many mild strokes experience changes in their mental state. Some easily slip into depression, or some parts of their body become paralyzed. Doctors then said that these are not the case. Those who easily became depressed were patients who were not visited often by their loved ones, and the ones with paralysis or speech impairments had many mild strokes and intervention was unsuccessful. It could be because the patients refused to take the medicine given to them, or they simply were resistant to the doctor’s recommended lifestyle change. So, it remains that mild stroke recovery is still on the person involved. After all, a person who does not wish to recover quickly will really find it hard to recover. It’s all in the mind.