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What You Must Know About Strokes: How to Recover from a Stroke and Prevent another Stroke
No one is ever prepared for a stroke. It just happens, and when it does, the results can be life altering. From difficulties with communication to weakness, numbness, and cognitive difficulties, a stroke can have a wide range of consequences. For most people affected by a stroke, a flood of questions come afterward: How did this happen? What do we do next? What are our options? How long will recovery take? Am I at risk for another stroke? To answer these questions and so many others, stroke specialist Dr. Amytis Towfighi and best-selling health writer and stroke survivor Laura Stevens have written What You Must Know About Strokes. Written in plain English, this useful guide offers all the information stroke survivors and their loved ones need to know in order to ask the right questions and make informed decisions.
The book is divided into four parts. Part 1 explains what a stroke is and which risk factors increase the odds of having a stroke. It also includes information on identifying the early signs of a stroke and what to do when they appear. Part 2 looks at the immediate care given to stroke survivors as they are brought into a hospital setting. Part 3 details the most common rehabilitation treatments given to stroke patients to help them regain their ability to carry out their daily activities, mobility, speech, and cognition. These include occupational, physical, and speech therapies. It also discusses a number of complementary and alternative treatments that may be helpful. Part 4 offers important suggestions on lifestyle and nutrition to help patients avoid another stroke. Part 5 provides a look at life after a stroke and the issues stroke survivors may face. It offers practical and easy-to-follow advice on moving forward. The book also offers a section of resources, listing services and agencies that provide answers and assistance to stroke patients and their families.
The many challenges of dealing with a stroke are great--for patients as well as their loved ones. The road back is not always easy. Understanding what is happening and what treatment options are available is crucial. The information contained in this book can greatly benefit anyone dealing with the aftermath of a stroke and make all the difference in the world.
The book is divided into four parts. Part 1 explains what a stroke is and which risk factors increase the odds of having a stroke. It also includes information on identifying the early signs of a stroke and what to do when they appear. Part 2 looks at the immediate care given to stroke survivors as they are brought into a hospital setting. Part 3 details the most common rehabilitation treatments given to stroke patients to help them regain their ability to carry out their daily activities, mobility, speech, and cognition. These include occupational, physical, and speech therapies. It also discusses a number of complementary and alternative treatments that may be helpful. Part 4 offers important suggestions on lifestyle and nutrition to help patients avoid another stroke. Part 5 provides a look at life after a stroke and the issues stroke survivors may face. It offers practical and easy-to-follow advice on moving forward. The book also offers a section of resources, listing services and agencies that provide answers and assistance to stroke patients and their families.
The many challenges of dealing with a stroke are great--for patients as well as their loved ones. The road back is not always easy. Understanding what is happening and what treatment options are available is crucial. The information contained in this book can greatly benefit anyone dealing with the aftermath of a stroke and make all the difference in the world.
320 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2020
7 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 27, 2020
An excellent resource of information in plain English!
California author Amytis Towfighi, MD earned her medical degree from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and completed her residence training at Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital, her Vascular Neurology fellowship at UCLA, and now is an associate professor of Neurology at Keck School of Medicine (USC) and holds important staff positions at major medical centers in Southern California. Indiana author Laura J. Stevens (a stroke survivor!) earned her Master’s Degree at Purdue University and is now a researcher in the relationship between diet and health disorders at Purdue, and has published books on diet, behavior and allergies.
Providing a much needed manual to inform the general public about cerebrovascular accidents (aka stroke), the well informed authors introduce their advice as follows: ‘A Stroke changes the lives of many people: the stroke survivor, his family members, and his friends. The first goal of this book is to help you understand what a stroke is. The second goal is to explain why strokes occur and how to reduce or eliminate their risk factors. The third goal is to help stroke patients recover from their strokes as much as possible. The final goal is to support caregivers, whether they are spouses, siblings, grown children, or dear friends.’
In this very accessible tone the authors escort us through a fine lesson about the etiology and vulnerability of strokes, a very informative description of what experiencing a stroke is like, including expectations of what hospitalization will be like (rehab, occupational/physical/speech therapies), how to prevent strokes (dietary influence – what to avoid and what to assure), and finally – how to cope with and deal with the sequelae of strokes and learning to live in the aftermath.
The information presented is well considered and is derived from the experience of these two gifted authors – valuable information delivered in language that is accessible to everyone. This is a very helpful resource, a book that should become part of every family’s library.
California author Amytis Towfighi, MD earned her medical degree from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and completed her residence training at Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital, her Vascular Neurology fellowship at UCLA, and now is an associate professor of Neurology at Keck School of Medicine (USC) and holds important staff positions at major medical centers in Southern California. Indiana author Laura J. Stevens (a stroke survivor!) earned her Master’s Degree at Purdue University and is now a researcher in the relationship between diet and health disorders at Purdue, and has published books on diet, behavior and allergies.
Providing a much needed manual to inform the general public about cerebrovascular accidents (aka stroke), the well informed authors introduce their advice as follows: ‘A Stroke changes the lives of many people: the stroke survivor, his family members, and his friends. The first goal of this book is to help you understand what a stroke is. The second goal is to explain why strokes occur and how to reduce or eliminate their risk factors. The third goal is to help stroke patients recover from their strokes as much as possible. The final goal is to support caregivers, whether they are spouses, siblings, grown children, or dear friends.’
In this very accessible tone the authors escort us through a fine lesson about the etiology and vulnerability of strokes, a very informative description of what experiencing a stroke is like, including expectations of what hospitalization will be like (rehab, occupational/physical/speech therapies), how to prevent strokes (dietary influence – what to avoid and what to assure), and finally – how to cope with and deal with the sequelae of strokes and learning to live in the aftermath.
The information presented is well considered and is derived from the experience of these two gifted authors – valuable information delivered in language that is accessible to everyone. This is a very helpful resource, a book that should become part of every family’s library.
August 21, 2020
Putting the current Covid pandemic aside, medical science has excelled at reducing the instances of diseases of childhood and the young adult from being fatal. This has meant that a higher percentage of people suffer from medical events that are based on an aging body. One of the most common and debilitating is the stroke, because it damages the brain. It is the third leading cause of death in the U. S. and the leading cause of serious long-term disability.
Fortunately, there are many lifestyle changes that can be implemented to avoid a stroke, most of which are consistent with other health issues, namely proper diet and exercise. Smoking is another risk factor. Furthermore, since that which cannot be avoided must be endured, this book also covers recovery and rehabilitation tactics. There is a very positive note in this area, largely based on the incredible ability of the brain to heal itself. This plasticity can be driven by proper rehab tactics that are both physical and mental exercises.
Given the extensive consequences of strokes in the population, this book serves an extremely valuable purpose, more in the recovery rather than in the prevention. This is not a flaw in the book, for there is a great deal of prevention information. It is due to the fact that humans seem to posses an inherent, “It won’t happen to me,” genetic component. Yet it does and since most adults have an intimate companion, there is some excellent material on what can and should be done in caring for a stroke victim.
Fortunately, there are many lifestyle changes that can be implemented to avoid a stroke, most of which are consistent with other health issues, namely proper diet and exercise. Smoking is another risk factor. Furthermore, since that which cannot be avoided must be endured, this book also covers recovery and rehabilitation tactics. There is a very positive note in this area, largely based on the incredible ability of the brain to heal itself. This plasticity can be driven by proper rehab tactics that are both physical and mental exercises.
Given the extensive consequences of strokes in the population, this book serves an extremely valuable purpose, more in the recovery rather than in the prevention. This is not a flaw in the book, for there is a great deal of prevention information. It is due to the fact that humans seem to posses an inherent, “It won’t happen to me,” genetic component. Yet it does and since most adults have an intimate companion, there is some excellent material on what can and should be done in caring for a stroke victim.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews