Memory recovery after a stroke

A stroke is a disease in which, under the influence of certain factors, the blood supply to a part of the brain is disturbed, it does not receive nutrition, as a result of which the cells closest to this zone are damaged or die. One of the consequences may be memory loss. But restoring memory after a stroke at home is quite possible on your own.

Why does memory loss happen?

With a sudden violation of blood circulation in one of the lobes and hemispheres of the brain, which occurs due to thrombosis or stenosis of the artery (with ischemic stroke) or rupture of the artery (with hemorrhagic stroke). This causes a shortage of nutrition in a certain part of the brain and the active death of its cells responsible for various functions of the body. Thus, motor activity, sensory organs, memory or speech may be impaired.

It is impossible to guess exactly what the consequences of a stroke will be, because the nutrition of the right and left hemispheres of the brain in the normal state is carried out in the same way, and they work together. Therefore, it is obvious that if the blood supply of even a small part of it is disturbed, there will be violations in all its work.

It is impossible to recover memory after a stroke, but it can be significantly improved

Memory is such a psychological process, thanks to which a person can receive some information from the external environment, fix it, and then reproduce it as many times as necessary. Forgetting is also referred to as memory, as a result of this process, the human brain is protected from information that it does not need.

One of the most common causes of memory loss in a person are microstrokes, while he may not even notice that his brain is affected. But as the attacks become more and more frequent, the problem will only get worse due to disruption of neural connections.

The main types of memory

To restore memory after a stroke, you need to know that it can be of different types. Depending on the duration of information storage, it can be:

• operational. This is the storage of information to perform certain actions. The brain will forget the sequence of operations once the action is completed. This type of memory can work from several minutes to several days;
• short-term. Only primary information is perceived, for example, pictures, place name, name. If there are no repetitions, this information is erased from memory, otherwise it goes into long-term memory. In the event of a stroke, short-term memory will suffer, so the patient will remember everything that happened before the attack, but he will not be able to perceive information and remember it in the future. Thus, it will be most difficult to restore short-term memory after a stroke, he will have to be taught to think from scratch;
• long term. Information is stored for a long time, can be played as many times as you like. A person can perceive new information, but will not be able to remember all the moments that were with him before the stroke. Using methods such as walking in places familiar to the patient, various associations can be established long-term memory.

The type of information that a person has forgotten after suffering a stroke also provides a basis for classifying the types of memory loss. The patient may not remember the faces of loved ones, forget the names and names, there are disturbances in the work of thoughts.

Memory recovery times

As a rule, after memory loss after a stroke is a temporary phenomenon. How quickly she can recover depends on such factors:

• patient's age;
• floor;
• area of ​​brain damage.

Of great importance in the speed of memory recovery is also the quality and completeness of rehabilitation methods.

How to solve a problem?

After a stroke, memory loss can only return with an integrated approach. Therefore, drug treatment is prescribed by a doctor in combination with special exercises. Alternative methods of herbal treatment and aromatherapy can also be used, but all of them must be agreed with the doctor.

Medication to restore memory

In most cases, so that the patient can quickly restore his memory after a stroke, the following drugs are prescribed:

• Aminalon. The action of this drug is aimed at normalizing the metabolic processes that occur in the brain, resulting in improved thought processes and memory.
• Glycine (aminoacetic acid). The action of this drug is to speed up the work of the brain, increase concentration and normalize memory. The tool saturates the neurons with such an important amino acid for them, also reduces the manifestations of depression and normalizes sleep.
• Actovegin. An effective drug for all disorders of the brain. The action is aimed at the normalization of nerve tissues, the healing of existing and the formation of new neural connections.
• Piracetam. Metabolic processes in the brain occur much faster, blood circulation returns to normal. In addition, protection of those neurons that are still alive is provided, concentration of attention increases.
• Phenotropil. The action of the drug is aimed at activating the activity of neurons and ensuring the interaction of the right and left hemispheres of the brain. As a result, the speed of assimilation and memorization of information increases significantly, and the concentration of attention also increases.

Self-medication is not allowed here. Any drug should be prescribed only by a doctor.

Herbal treatment

Folk recipes have also proven effective in restoring memory after a stroke. Properly selected herbs have a beneficial effect on brain activity.

The following remedies will help restore memory:

• Dandelion. You need to take fresh juice: 25 ml before each meal.
• Thyme. Prepare a weak decoction and drink it in small sips throughout the day.
• Sage. Prepare a weak infusion and drink in small sips throughout the day.
• Rowan. Take the remedy for 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day. The bark of the tree is used, which must be boiled for 10 minutes, and then infused for 6 hours. Strain means.

Lemon also improves brain function along with sugar. It is enough to eat just a slice of lemon a day.

The dosage and duration of taking this or that folk remedy must be agreed with the attending physician.

aromatherapy

Some essential oils will also help to establish the blood supply to the brain and its normal functioning. The most effective oils are: lavender, rosemary, mint, lemon, sage, ginseng, ginger.

You can use these oils during the massage, adding to the base oil. You can also add a few drops of any of these oils while taking a bath or use in an aroma lamp.

Important! When mixing different essential oils together, extreme caution is important.

Memory training

Simple exercises will help restore memory after a stroke:

• Associations. First you need to figure out what remained in the patient's memory before the attack. To awaken his long-term memory, you need to build chains of associations of different events.
• Develop visual memory. Pictures with animals or other objects will help in this. They must first be shown to the patient, and then turned upside down so that he can name what he managed to remember. This is how short-term memory is trained, if long-term memory is not affected.
• City names. This will help not only to activate the processes of thinking, but also to remember the letters in the alphabet.

There are many games that will gradually return the memory. So, you can solve mathematical and logical problems, learn poetry, sing songs, play chess or checkers, solve puzzles and crosswords.

Physical activity

The speed of memory recovery in a patient after a stroke largely depends on his activity. In the event that after an attack both parts of the body are functional, a feasible load on them should be provided.

You can start by doing simple homework, thanks to which the muscles will send impulses to the brain, thereby activating the neural cords. This, in turn, will gradually activate the parts of the central nervous system that are not working. The memory will gradually return.

When the patient recovers so much that he can walk long distances on his own, walking to those places that he knows well should become mandatory.

Light sports may be allowed by the doctor if muscle tone is normal.

But the treatment will not be effective if the patient is not provided with support and assistance from relatives. It is they who will have to ensure that the doctor's instructions are followed, the prescribed medicines and folk remedies are taken in a timely manner, and exercises of physiotherapy exercises are performed. The task of relatives is to return a loved one to their former life, and for this you need to tell him more stories about himself, read books, walk around significant places.

Equally important is the patient's compliance with the daily regimen and diet. At the same time, stress and bad habits should be eliminated as much as possible. It is important that the nervous system rest as much as possible, only in this way it recovers faster.

The process of memory recovery after a stroke is long. In this regard, the patient himself, as well as those who help him recover, must be patient, not be nervous about trifles, not give up, because a positive attitude is extremely important for memory restoration.