Wednesday, March 27, 2024

How Long Can Post Stroke Fatigue Last

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Is There Any Covid Brain Fog Treatment

Recovering from Stroke Part 1 (UCLA)

Until we have more time and more studies, there are more questions than answers. We dont know how long brain fog lasts after COVID or how long fatigue lasts after COVID. Until we know more, there is no known treatment for long COVID neurological symptoms. The best thing to do is tell your doctor about your symptoms and work with your doctor to find what works best for you.

Getting Support For Post

If you struggle with post-stroke fatigue, reach out for help from your medical team.

Your doctor may be able to adjust your medication if fatigue is listed as a side effect of any current prescriptions.

If you have demanding secondary effects, like post-stroke pain or paralysis, your therapist might be able to help. For example, they can try electrical stimulation to see if it helps accelerate recovery.

Ultimately, you should experiment with as many treatments as possible until you find something that helps you. Remember to pace yourself and rest when you need it. Good luck!

Tired After A Stroke Understanding Post

Feeling tired is a normal part of life. Whether you didnt get a good night of sleep or wore yourself out with a busy day or an exerting activity, your body can only handle so much before you start to feel the physical effects of being tired. In cases like these, all you need to do is rest in order to feel re-charged and rejuvenated. But for individuals who have suffered from a stroke, its not that easy.

Fatigue after a stroke is common, and its different from simply feeling tired. Post-stroke fatigue can make somebody feel like they completely lack energy or strength, with a persistent feeling of being tired or weary. Unlike typical tiredness, a nap or sleeping longer at night wont solve things. If you are experiencing post-stroke fatigue, it is important to consult with your doctor so you can take the proper steps to start feeling better and more energized.

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Radioprotective Drugs For Reducing Side Effects

One way to reduce side effects is by using radioprotective drugs, but these are only used for certain types of radiation given to certain parts of the body. These drugs are given before radiation treatment to protect certain normal tissues in the treatment area. The one most commonly used today is amifostine. This drug may be used in people with head and neck cancer to reduce the mouth problems caused by radiation therapy.

Not all doctors agree on how these drugs should be used in radiation therapy. These drugs have their own side effects, too, so be sure you understand what to look for.

My Husband Is Getting Better And Better

How long does everyones fatigue flare ups last on average ...

My name is Monica Davis but the person who is using the FitMi is my husband, Jerry. I first came across FitMi on Facebook. I pondered it for nearly a year. In that time, he had PT, OT and Speech therapy, as well as vision therapy.

I got a little more serious about ordering the FitMi when that all ended 7 months after his stroke. I wish I hadnt waited to order it. He enjoys it and it is quite a workout!

He loves it when he levels up and gets WOO HOOs! It is a wonderful product! His stroke has affected his left side. Quick medical attention, therapy and FitMi have helped him tremendously!

Monica & Jerrys FitMi review

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Associated Factors Lesion Locations And Pathophysiology

Studies have shown that motor dysfunction, dysarthria, high National Institute of Health Stroke Scale scores, previous stroke, premorbid neuroticism personality trait, history of depression, and low monoamine oxidase A activity are related to PSAP . Kim et al. emphasized that PSAP is more closely associated with PSEI than PSD and that the distribution of lesion locations associated with PSAP is similar to that of lesions associated with PSEI .

Therefore, similar to PSEI, serotonergic dysfunction seems to play a role in the development of PSAP. Because PSAP is also associated with severe neurologic dysfunction, depression, and a previous history of stroke, some of the patients anger may be a manifestation of depression or frustration. Thus, PSAP may be a multi-factorial phenomenon related to reactive behavioral changes associated with functional deficits and repeated strokes, serotonergic dysfunction due to brain damage, or genetic polymorphisms involving monoamine oxidase A .

Symptom Characteristics And Prevalence

The symptoms of post-stroke depression or depressive symptoms include depressed mood, anhedonia, loss of energy, decreased concentration, and psychic retardation. Although somatic symptoms, such as decreased appetite and insomnia are common, they may in part be attributed to the stroke itself, medications, or comorbid diseases. Guilty feelings and suicidal ideations are less common than observed in primary depression .

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition has been used for the diagnosis of PSD. It defines depression as depressed mood or anhedonia for 2 weeks or longer, in addition to the presence of at least four of the following symptoms: substantial weight loss or gain, insomnia or hypersomnia, psychomotor agitation or retardation, fatigue or loss of energy, worthlessness or inappropriate guilt, diminished concentration, and indecisiveness. However, it remains controversial whether these criteria, validated in physically intact persons, can be used in stroke patients, especially in the acute setting. Thus, other interviewer-administered or self-completed depression case-finding or screening instruments are also used in the study of PSD. These include the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire, The Center of Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Scale .

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Patient Characteristics As Risk Factors For Headache After Stroke

To determine the effect of stroke location and sex on ischemic stroke headache, data from studies that reported headache prevalence in these subgroups were used to calculate a crude odds ratio using 2 × 2 tables for each study and combined using a fixed effects heterogeneity model to generate a pooled estimate.

Physiotherapy And Occupational Therapy

After a Stroke and Coma, There’s MedStar Rehabilitation

For many people, physiotherapy and occupational therapy are the most effective treatments. What therapy is best for you depends on what area of your body is affected and how severe it is. Your therapists will recommend exercises and other strategies to improve the quality of movement and the control of your muscles.

Neuroplasticity is the brains ability to change so unaffected parts of the brain can take over the job of affected areas. Repeated and challenging exercises related to every day tasks can promote this change, reducing spasticity and restoring the brains control over muscles.

Your therapists may also recommend therapies such as casting, taping and electrical stimulation. Electrical stimulation is often used when you cannot move the affected area very much or even at all.

Therapy can also help reduce the impact of muscle spasticity, and address any other problems that might come from it. Different ways of doing things, along with aids and equipment, can help with daily tasks. You may also need to protect the affected part of your body from injury. Your therapists can provide advice on this.

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Interfering And Aggravating Factors

The stroke survivors described how fatigue interfered with their lives and how different factors aggravated fatigue. Four categories of interfering and aggravating factors were identified: emotions, cognitive performance, activities in daily life, and participation in society. Having fatigue interfered with all these aspects of their lives, and in addition, different factors in all four categories could aggravate their fatigue.

PSF also affected the stroke survivors emotions. Having an acute stroke was a frightening experience for the stroke survivors, and the continuous presence of fatigue after the stroke perpetuated their perception of feeling unwell. This contradicted the stroke survivors understanding of their stroke as a one-time incident from which they had fully or mostly recovered. The stroke survivors also lacked motivation, worried that people would perceive them as lazy and experienced sadness related to how fatigue interfered with their lives:

I have to say that it is quite depressing. Several times, like after that Sunday, I thought: Do you know what? Now you have been wasting a whole day on nothing. Nothing, you have not done anything.

Frustration with being fatigued was also described by the health professionals:

It takes time and it is a test of patience that is difficult for the patients to accept. They get really frustrated because they are so tired.

How Do You Tell If You Have Post

Remember that theres a difference between feeling tired and having post-stroke fatigue. The latter will give you a feeling of complete exhaustion you will lack all energy and feel extremely weary. You will probably feel like you have to rest every day, or even multiple times a day. This can make it difficult to accomplish things, whether its something as simple as spending time with family, running errands, or even attending your post-stroke therapy sessions.

Until you feel the type of exhaustion that comes with post-stroke fatigue its difficult to explain, so dont feel frustrated if your friends and family dont understand why youre struggling. If you think you have post-stroke fatigue, dont hesitate to consult with your doctor.

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Tips For Dealing With Post

Have you recently had a stroke and now feel more tired than usual? Most adults need a midday caffeine boost, but post-stroke fatigue takes it to a whole new level. People who have had a stroke often feel extreme fatiguenot only during the 3 p.m. slump, but far more often. And post-stroke fatigue isnt always just physicalit can be mental, too, including symptoms like memory loss, emotional turbulence, and self-control issues. If your post-stroke fatigue is affecting your daily life and making it difficult to perform tasks that require physical or mental focus, it might be time to learn more about what you can do to manage it.

What Is Spasticity

Post

Muscle stiffness, tightness, rigidity, and inflexibility are often referred to as spasticity. After a stroke, the arms, legs, or face can become weak or paralyzed. That weakness means that a stroke survivor cannot control muscle movement. But, often, after a stroke, weak muscles become “stuck” in a rigid or tight position and cannot comfortably relax when you want them to.

Sometimes, with milder spasticity, you might be able to move your muscles, but they may jerk unevenly as you move, instead of moving smoothly. Some people with spasticity notice that the muscles fall into an unusual position or twisted position while at rest.

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How Common Is Post

You are most likely to experience fatigue shortly after your stroke.

The severity of post-stroke fatigue does not seem to be related to the severity or type of stroke you have had. Furthermore, post-stroke fatigue is as common amongst those who have had a stroke caused by a bleed from a blood vessel supplying part of the brain as with those whose stroke has been causes by a blockage of a blood vessel supplying part of the brain .

You are more likely to experience fatigue after a stroke than after a transient ischaemic attack , sometimes called a mini stroke.

Fatigue can continue to be a problem for a while after your stroke, and even if you have made a full physical recovery.

Factors And Lesion Locations Associated With Psei

Severe motor and neurologic dysfunction , lesion location , and the presence of depression are reported to be related to PSEI. We reported that lesion location is the only factor associated with PSEI at the time of admission, whereas functional status, serotonin polymorphisms, and low social support were related to PSEI at three months post-stroke .

Studies using computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging have shown that lenticulocapsular and brainstem lesions are closely related to PSEI. We studied 148 patients with unilateral strokes who were identified using computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging and found that the anterior cortex-internal capsule/basal ganglia-ventral brainstem circuitry is closely related to PSEI . Patients with lesions in the thalamus or cerebellum also occasionally exhibited PSEI. Although this lesion location is similar to that producing PSD, PSEI seems to be more closely related to subcortical lesions .

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How Might You Feel

Post stroke fatigue is described as an overwhelming sense of tiredness, exhaustion, lack of energy, or difficulties with sustaining routine actions, and it may come on suddenly. It is abnormal or excessive to normal fatigue, and can interfere with participation of daily activities .

People may feel physically, cognitively or psychologically fatigued, and this may effect physical, cognitive, psychological and behavioural abilities. For example:

Physically

  • Feeling like you have the flu
  • Needing to take naps during the day.

Cognitively

  • Difficulties concentrating for long periods
  • Feeling less sociable, unable to tolerate crowds and busy environments.

Psychologically

  • Frustration at being unable to do as much as before
  • Concerned about families understanding. Do they think I am being lazy?

Any, or a combination of the above, can lead to behavioural changes. For example feeling irritable, becoming less sociable, having reduced levels of activity, and being more dependent on family. However, there are strategies you can use to reduce this .

If Youre Having Radiation Therapy To The Pelvis

Fatigue after COVID-19 Infection

Radiation therapy to the pelvis can cause side effects such as:

  • Bladder problems
  • Fertility problems
  • Changes in your sex life

You might also have some of the same problems people get from radiation to the abdomen, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation.

Bladder problems

Radiation to the pelvis can cause problems with urination, including:

  • Pain or burning sensations
  • Blood in the urine
  • An urge to urinate often

Most of these problems get better over time, but radiation therapy can cause longer-term side effects as well:

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Why Am I So Tired After My Stroke

Its the symptom we forget to ask about, yet it is very common after a stroke, brain injury and among cancer patients. Fatigue. When we were young we could appreciate the good tired that we experienced after a vigorous workout. It passed quickly and we bounced back to our energized self. However, after a stroke everything is more difficult to do and patients experience fatigue, which is very different than just being tired. In fact, 50 percent of stroke survivors list fatigue as one of their major complaints.

Fatigue after a stroke or during treatment for cancer is the overwhelming need to rest every day. It may come on suddenly with the desire to quickly find your favorite sofa, but unfortunately you are not refreshed by sleep or a nap. Your physical disabilities may make simple tasks more difficult. Walking to bathroom now takes a lot more energy. We also tend to forget that thinking takes more energy. It may be more difficult to remember things or read the newspaper. This can be exhausting.

How Long Does Post

Recovery from post-viral fatigue varies from person to person, and theres no clear timeline. Some recover to the point where they can return to all of their daily activities after a month or two, while others continue to have symptoms for years.

According to a small 2017 study in Norway, getting an early diagnosis may improve recovery. A better prognosis is often associated with people who have had the condition for a longer period of time.

If you think you might have post-viral fatigue, try to see a doctor as soon as possible. If you have limited access to healthcare and live in the United States, you can find free or low-cost health centers here.

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Balancing Activity And Rest

Listening to your body and respecting its limits is important. Understanding what makes it worse and when it is most likely to happen will help.

Do everyday tasks in a way that uses less energy, for example sitting down to get dressed. Plan activities for when you have the most energy. Break activities into smaller tasks and rest in between. Try spreading activities throughout the day or week and plan rest breaks. You may choose to prioritise the activities and events that are most important to you.

If you are planning to return to work, consider starting back part-time and increasing your hours gradually.

It may be that pushing through fatigue to complete physical or mental activities can help recovery, however more research is needed. Understanding your body and how fatigue affects you will help you make decisions about how much to push. Pushing gently will most likely be best, as pushing too much can worsen fatigue.

Psf As A Multidimensional Phenomenon

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This study highlights the complexity and multidimensionality of PSF, which included closely interacting emotional, cognitive, physical and social aspects. When measuring complex constructs such as fatigue, a multidimensional measurement instrument is preferable in order to have a detailed assessment of all relevant dimensions . For example, both symptom intensity and symptom interference measures are considered vital, as stroke survivors might report fatigue as very distressing and significantly interfering with daily life, despite reporting relatively low fatigue intensity, and vice versa. This is in agreement with symptom experience in cancer patients, showing a non-linear relationship between symptom severity and symptom interference . In order to have a more comprehensive assessment of PSF that includes all relevant dimensions, there is a need for a new PSF-specific PROM.

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If Youre Getting Radiation Therapy To The Breast

If you have radiation to the breast, it can affect your heart or lungs as well causing other side effects.

Short-term side effects

Radiation to the breast can cause:

  • Skin irritation, dryness, and color changes
  • Breast soreness
  • Breast swelling from fluid build-up

To avoid irritating the skin around the breast, women should try to go without wearing a bra whenever they can. If this isnt possible, wear a soft cotton bra without underwires.

If your shoulders feel stiff, ask your cancer care team about exercises to keep your shoulder moving freely.

Breast soreness, color changes, and fluid build-up will most likely go away a month or 2 after you finish radiation therapy. If fluid build-up continues to be a problem, ask your cancer care team what steps you can take. See Lymphedema for more information.

Long-term changes to the breast

Radiation therapy may cause long-term changes in the breast. Your skin may be slightly darker, and pores may be larger and more noticeable. The skin may be more or less sensitive and feel thicker and firmer than it was before treatment. Sometimes the size of your breast changes it may become larger because of fluid build-up or smaller because of scar tissue. These side effects may last long after treatment.

After about a year, you shouldnt have any new changes. If you do see changes in breast size, shape, appearance, or texture after this time, tell your cancer care team about them right away.

Less common side effects in nearby areas

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