Stroke

Published on: October 15, 2020

Stroke Survivors Face Treatment Challenges during Pandemic

Rehabilitation and therapy services are crucial for stroke survivors who benefit significantly from these therapies. During the pandemic, many Americans who suffered a stroke were unable to access the rehab services that they required.

The pandemic disrupted access to medical and healthcare services for Social Security disability beneficiaries across Georgia. For people who suffer from certain conditions, rehabilitation services are crucial. According to experts, stroke survivors may not be receiving the kind of rehabilitation services they require during the pandemic.

Rehab, according to the American Stroke Association, should begin within 3 months of a stroke. This is the time when long- term damage from the brain injury can be mitigated, and the brain is most likely to be able to adapt to the damage that it has suffered. Survivors may be more likely to regain skills or learn new ways of performing routine activities when rehabilitation begins quickly.

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Published on: July 2, 2020

What are your Options for Social Security Disability Benefits for Aphasia?

By Lisa Siegel

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Aphasia is a condition that results in the impairment of a person’s ability to process and comprehend speech. The condition can also impair one’s ability to read and write. Typically, older persons are more likely to suffer aphasia, although the condition can also be triggered by a stroke or brain injury.

There may be several types of impairments that are seen in a case of aphasia. Sometimes, the person may suffer from an inability to string together words into sentences, while in other cases, only the ability to read is impacted. Some individuals with this condition may find it difficult to attach names to objects. Impairments can affect the person’s ability to read or speak, while others may affect the individual’s ability to write, but leave his ability to speak unimpaired. In other types of aphasia, the person may be left with the inability to provide words or sentences for the ideas and thoughts that he wants to express.

Primary progressive aphasia is the kind of aphasia that results after a person has suffered a stroke, or as a result of Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease. In such cases, the person’s ability to speak properly is severely impacted and progressively gets worse. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has included primary progressive aphasia in its Compassionate Allowances listing of conditions that are eligible for expedited processing of claims. This means that if you suffer from primary progressive aphasia, your application for Social Security disability benefits will be processed and approved faster.

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Published on: January 14, 2020

MOBILE STROKE UNITS CAN HELP ENHANCE OUTCOMES FOR PATIENTS

By Lisa Siegel

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As an Atlanta Social Security disability benefits attorney, I frequently represent claimants who are trying to recover disability benefits after suffering a stroke. A new study finds that a well-equipped mobile unit that delivers lifesaving care to a person who has suffered a stroke in the first few hours after the onset of a stroke, could significantly improve outcomes for victims.

The first few hours after the earliest signs of a stroke are critical. In the first 3.5 hours to 4 hours after a person begins to show the first signs of a stroke like slurred speech, droopiness of the facial muscles, and confusion, a medication called alteplase should be administered to the patient. This is a drug that busts the blood clots that disrupt the flow of oxygen to the brain. When the brain is starved of oxygen beyond a certain period, there can be possibly irreversible brain damage. Brain cells begin to die when they are deprived of oxygen, and the medication can help eradicate the clot that is blocking oxygen supply to the brain cells.

The study focused on 85 patients who had suffered a stroke and had to be taken to the hospital. Out of these patients, 66 were taken to the hospital in a mobile stroke unit, which is typically equipped with CT scanners that can help diagnose an ischemic stroke. These types of strokes involve blood clots. These mobile stroke units also carry neurologists who can identify the type of stroke and begin administering the medication immediately. The researchers found that when a mobile stroke unit was used to transport the patient to the hospital, the medication was delivered at least 30 minutes earlier than if the person was transported via regular ambulance to the hospital. In Atlanta, the Grady EMS operates a mobile stroke unit that is capable of delivering quicker care to stroke patients.

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Published on: May 20, 2019

REDUCE STROKE RISKS WITH THESE TIPS

By Lisa Siegel

A stroke is one of the leading causes of permanent disability in the US. The good news is that there are ways to reduce your risks of suffering a stroke. One of the biggest factors causing a stroke is high blood pressure. If you suffer from high blood pressure, make sure that your blood pressure is monitored regularly. Take your medications diligently, and follow a proper diet and sensible lifestyle to avoid spikes in your blood pressure that could trigger a stroke.

Smoking is also believed to be a risk factor for a stroke. The World Health Organization estimates that smokers have a risk of suffering a stroke that is 4 times higher than for non-smokers. A healthy diet can go a long way in reducing your risk of a stroke. Fatty, high-calorie foods and drinks can clog your arteries, and increase your blood cholesterol levels, raising stroke risks. Salt is another culprit, contributing to hypertension.

Exercise is also an important part of one’s lifestyle. Even a 30-minute walk a day constitutes exercise that can help you keep your weight under control and stroke risks at bay. Undergo a regular medical screening to rule out hypertension, blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol levels and other risk factors for stroke.

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Published on: April 27, 2017

Physically Fit Persons Less Likely to Be Disabled After a Stroke

By Lisa Siegel

Individuals who are physically fit are less likely to suffer from a disability after a stroke. According to new research, however, physical fitness does not necessarily mean lack of fat. In other words, high body fat percentages are not necessarily predictors of a high risk of disability after a stroke.

According to research conducted at Harvard University, physical inactivity before a stroke is linked to a higher risk of becoming dependent, both before and after the stroke. Researchers focused on more than 18,000 people who had no stroke history. They were followed over a period of 18 years, and during that time, approximately 1,400 persons in the study survived a stroke.

The researchers found that three years after the stroke, people who had a very physically fit lifestyle that included plenty of exercise were 18% more likely to be able to perform independent tasks, such as bathing. They were also 16% more likely to perform complex tasks, like managing their finances, compared to those who were not as physically fit before the stroke.

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Published on: March 24, 2017

Results of New Study Hint at Enhanced Stroke Treatments in the Future

By Lisa Siegel

Stroke treatments in the future could be significantly better than they are now, thanks to research that has found a new way to safely remove clots in patients.

Doctors currently treat stroke by using an infusion which removes the blood clots by dissolving them. However, patients who are given this treatment stand a risk of swelling in the brain and excessive bleeding. In addition, patients must receive the infusion within three hours of suffering the stroke for the treatment to be effective.

However, researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston are using a drug combination that will potentially improve outcomes for stroke patients. The researchers conducted tests on mice, and found that when the mice were given the new treatment, there was a drop in bleeding levels, lowered swelling in the brain, and limited brain damage, compared to animals that were not given the treatment.

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Published on: December 9, 2013

Stroke Risks Among Younger Persons Increasing

By Lisa Siegel

According to a new study, younger persons are at an increasingly higher risk of suffering a stroke.

The research was recently conducted by researchers at the Loyola University Medical Center, and the findings have been reported in the American Academy of Neurology. According to the study, approximately 15% of the most common types of strokes in the United States now occur in young adults. Even more worrying is the fact that many young people who were not considered a high-risk category for strokes earlier are now showing risk factors for such strokes.

Approximately 85% of all strokes reported in the United States every year are ischemic strokes, caused by a block of blood flow to the brain. The number of young people who now show risk factors for ischemic strokes has increased, including diabetes, obesity, hypertension or high blood pressure, and high cholesterol levels. In addition, younger persons often times engage in unhealthy activities such as smoking, which can also increase the risk.

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Published on: October 10, 2013

Study Finds Stroke, Disability Risks Increased by Traumatic Brain Injury

By Lisa Siegel

According to research recently published by the University of Michigan Health System, persons who have suffered a traumatic brain injury are at a much greater risk of suffering a stroke later in life, compared to those who have no history of brain injury.

The research was conducted on people with an average age of 49.2 years. Researchers found that persons who had suffered a traumatic brain injury earlier in life had a much higher risk of suffering an ischemic stroke, which occurs when there is a severe lack of blood flow to the brain. Ischemic strokes can leave a person with devastating and lifelong health issues, and even permanent disability. In fact, stroke is one of the major causes of long-term disability among American adults.

The outlook after a stroke is not entirely bleak, and as many as 70% of survivors of a stroke can expect to regain some degree of functional independence. However, roughly 30% of persons who suffer a stroke remain permanently disabled, and may suffer symptoms such as full or partial paralysis, language problems, cognitive difficulties, and sensory disturbances.

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Published on: June 14, 2013

Research Investigates Ways to Limit Effects of Stroke

By Lisa Siegel

New research being conducted by researchers at the University of Connecticut Health Center is focusing on strategies to prevent the catastrophic effects of stroke. As any Atlanta disability lawyer knows, in most cases of stroke, the person does not die immediately, but may suffer from catastrophic consequences that can have a devastating impact on the rest of his life.

In many cases, persons with stroke are left with severe physical and mental disabilities that even prevent them from being able to care for themselves, or perform routine tasks every day. In many cases, patients need long-term and even lifelong assistance, because they lose their ability to move their limbs for minor functions. In some cases, patients are not even able to get themselves out of bed.

Another major effect of stroke is the effect on speech centers in the brain. Many patients who have suffered a stroke cannot speak any more, and others who have suffered a stroke may have slurred speech. What is worse is that the number of people who suffer and survive a stroke is expected to grow with an increase in the senior population in the country.

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Published on: April 2, 2013

Survivors of Stroke Have Higher Risk of Suicidal Thoughts

By Lisa Siegel

According to new research, persons who have suffered a stroke have a much higher risk of suffering suicidal thoughts. The study was presented recently at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference. The report presented found that nearly 8% of stroke survivors had suicidal thoughts or suicidal fantasies.

There are currently about 6.2 million survivors of stroke living inside the United States. According to earlier research, a significant number of these survivors do experience depression after the stroke. In fact, earlier studies have found that as many as one third of persons who have suffered a stroke suffer from symptoms of depression after a stroke, and the depression automatically leads to poorer outcomes for these patients.

However, this is the first time that research has actually focused on the risk of suicidal thoughts and suicidal fantasies among stroke survivors. The main aim of the study was to determine exactly how many survivors seriously contemplate suicide.

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