Mild Strokes May Bring Onset of Depression According to Westmont's Charism's Mardy Chizek

According to a new study by the Canadian Stroke Congress in Ottawa, “even mild strokes can result in serious but unrecognized disabilities, such as depression, vision problems and difficulty thinking.”

After interviewing 200 stroke victims within six weeks of having their first stroke, the researchers found a high rate of sleeplessness and depression among the participants. Nearly 25 percent were clinically depressed. The stroke patients also reported a significant drop in their perceived quality of life, the study revealed.

“It is important that these patients receive ongoing professional medical evaluation to assess risk factors for depression and increased anxiety regarding their job, families and independence, including driving,” according to Eldercare Navigator and RN, Mardy Chizek, president of Westmont-based Charism Senior Services, which offers comprehensive eldercare services not available from another single source and is built on results that address medical and daily living issues with dignity and safety.

Chizek notes that symptoms of depression include fatigue, loss of appetite, lack of concentration, and disturbed sleep.

One of the troubling aspects of a minor stroke, according to Chizek, drawing from the Heart and Stroke Foundation, is that people who have had a mild stroke are five times more likely to have a stroke over the next two years than the general population. The Foundation recommends “proper treatment and management of risk factors can help prevent another stroke."

For more information on the management and care of stroke patients, visit Mardy Chizek and Charism on-line at www.charism.net.