A 'Stroke School' event was organized in Istanbul to explain post-stroke care, rehabilitation process, recovery process and improving quality of life for patients who have been treated for stroke and their relatives. Patients who had a stroke due to a brain clot and successfully completed the treatment process and their relatives talked about their experiences during this process and emphasized the importance of early recognition of stroke. Stating that stroke symptoms should be recognized and intervened immediately, experts stated that when treatment is started early, the survival rate of patients increases and the treatment process is successfully completed. Speaking at the Stroke School, Neurology Specialist Dr. Nermin Çalışır said, "When stroke symptoms appear, someone close to the person should call 112 without wasting time. The first 4.5 to 6 hours are critical for treatment to be effective. We have strong treatment options and in order for these treatments to be applied, the patient needs to be transported quickly to the nearest stroke center via 112."
'Stroke School' event was held at Romatem Move Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Center in Çamlıca. The event provided information on post-stroke care, rehabilitation process, recovery and improving quality of life for patients treated for stroke and their relatives. Relatives of the patients explained what they experienced during the stroke process, the treatments applied and what they did when the first symptoms appeared.
THE CONTRIBUTION OF PATIENTS AND THEIR RELATIVES TO TREATMENT INCREASES THE SUCCESS RATE'
Coordinator of the Stroke School event and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hülya Şirzai said, "Today we are holding the Stroke School program, which is a special training program for patients and their relatives. With this event, we wanted to emphasize that rehabilitation is a team work and that patients and their relatives are at the center of this team. The more patients and their relatives contribute to the rehabilitation process, the more the success of the treatment increases. This is what we strive for as a rehabilitation team. Without active participation in the rehabilitation process, the success of the treatment is negatively affected. Therefore, we want the patient's relatives to be more involved in the process so that we can achieve our goals in treatment. For this purpose, we have prepared the Stroke School program today. In our program, what is a stroke? When a stroke usually occurs in the home environment, how can patients recognize it? What should they do after having a stroke? What kind of rehabilitation process should they undergo during the discharge process or after overcoming the acute period of stroke? We will answer questions such as what kind of a path should they follow for the treatment to be successful? We aim to raise awareness of our patients and their relatives about stroke and the complications that may occur afterwards and to raise awareness about the rehabilitation process. We also aim to guide them by answering their questions. Stroke patients are not alone. There are many people experiencing similar situations and when these experiences are shared, the process can be tolerated much better thanks to support groups."
'THE FIRST 4.5 TO 6 HOURS ARE CRITICAL FOR TREATMENT TO BE EFFECTIVE'
Neurology Specialist Dr. Nermin Çalışır from Romatem Move Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Center said, "Stroke cases are caused by blockage of brain vessels in 4 out of 5 patients. In 1 out of 5 patients, it occurs as a result of bleeding. The most important point here is to ensure the survival of brain cells. When stroke symptoms appear, someone close to the person should immediately call 112. The first 4.5 to 6 hours are critical for treatment to be effective. We have strong treatment options and the patient needs to be transported quickly to the nearest stroke center via 112 so that these treatments can be administered. Symptoms of stroke include asymmetrical drooping of the face, slurred speech and weakness in one of the arms. If you notice any of these three symptoms, call 112 immediately and ensure that the patient is transported to a stroke center as soon as possible."
'ON AVERAGE 500 THOUSAND NEW STROKE CASES ARE ADDED IN TURKEY EVERY YEAR'
Stating that an average of 500 thousand new stroke cases are added every year in Turkey, Neurology Specialist Çalışır said, "After the medication and serum treatments applied in the first days, we start neurological rehabilitation to restore the communication between brain cells. We cannot bring back the dead cells, but we can ensure that the cells that remain intact take over the functions of the lost cells. We support this process with thousands of repetitive exercises so that the intact cells learn their new tasks. It is through this process that our patients recover. We organized a Stroke School program to inform patients and their relatives about stroke. We told them what they went through during the stroke process, the possibility of relapse, the treatments applied and what they should do when the first symptoms appear. Stroke prevention requires quitting smoking, controlling blood pressure and diabetes, regular exercise, healthy nutrition and quality sleep. Age, gender and genetic predisposition increase the risk of stroke. However, there are also many factors that we can change. Our most important goal should be to prevent stroke and minimize this risk rather than trying to treat it. Prevention comes first," he said.
Emphasizing that early intervention plays a major role in reducing the effects of stroke and speeding up the recovery process, Dentist Ayşe Şendir, one of the relatives of the patient, said: "1 year ago, my husband had a clot in his brain and urgently applied to the hospital. The clot was removed by angiography, but a stroke occurred on the right side. Although I was a dentist, I was quite ignorant about this subject. Even though I had general anatomy knowledge, I did not know exactly what affected what and how. I learned this by experiencing it with my husband's illness. We stayed in the hospital for about 10 months and then we went home. At that time, I received a phone call from Romatem. I learned that there was an information course and I accepted it with joy. I learned a lot by coming here today. Most importantly, my morale improved a lot. Because it is really difficult to swim in an unfamiliar sea. But if you have seen the bottom, it is much easier to swim in that sea. Today they showed me the bottom of that sea. Thank you very much. Our professor told us that the clot can come back and this disease can happen a second time. He also told us that it can happen to anyone. That's why he emphasized that we need to keep all our conditions under control every moment, every minute. He said that if there are symptoms such as slurred speech, restricted movements, difficulty walking, especially in the elderly, or a wandering tongue, you should definitely go to the nearest hospital. Because everything can get worse after such situations. If you do not go to the hospital at that moment, you can spend your life in the hospital."
Source : DHA
