All of our skills come from how the billions of cells in our brains work together. I can make sounds and say words because these cells in my brain are wired up and working. You can understand me when I talk because those brain cells are online and doing their jobs. Right now, you're using groups of cells to make words out of the letters on the screen or page.
If a stroke or other brain injury kills these cells, you might no longer be able to read, but you might still be able to talk, sing, or write. All that matters is where the damage is in the brain and which systems of cells have been hurt.
In Singapore, strokes are a big reason why people can't work. More than a thousand people have a stroke every year. Our society would be better off if we knew more about strokes, like how a person can be slow to recover some skills but still be able to think clearly. We also don't know much about how the brain can heal itself or why people who have had a stroke may get better when those around them are kind and helpful.
Basically, there are two types of strokes. The ischemic stroke happens when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel and stops oxygen and other nutrients from getting to the brain cells. The brain cells can't do their jobs because of this. A hemorrhagic stroke is a rare type of stroke. When a blood vessel breaks and blood gets into brain tissue where it doesn't belong, this happens. This makes it harder for brain cells to talk to each other.
The problems we have and how they show up as symptoms depend a lot on where in the brain a stroke happens and what the cells that were damaged normally did. The cells that aren't hurt can still do their jobs well. This is why the effects of a stroke can be different for each person and why people often have the wrong idea about someone who has had one. Some people feel uncomfortable when there is a long pause between a question and a response, but this doesn't always say anything important about a person's ability to think and reason.
Even if a stroke does a lot of damage, the damage is not always permanent. When we get hit in the head, our brains can protect themselves in two ways. We can also make new neurons. This is called neurogenesis, and it happens most often in places where we have been hurt physically. Neuroplasticity also means that our brain cells can change which other neurons they talk to.
Scientists used to think that our neural networks were fully developed and set up in our first few years of life and would stay that way for the rest of our lives. But now we know that neuroplasticity is a constant process that shows how our brain cells can not only heal from trauma but also build new networks that are stronger than the old ones. Neuroplasticity is a process that goes on for the rest of our lives. It makes it possible for us to keep learning new things. Brains can fully recover from major injuries, which shows how powerful neuroplasticity is and how the brain can get back lost functions.
The brain is a 1.3-kilogram mass of nerve cells that controls not only all of our skills but also how we see the world around us. Neurons are tiny, beautiful creatures that work together for the rest of our lives. So, if you meet someone who has had any kind of brain injury, don't think about what skills they might have lost. Instead, think about what new insights they might have gained.
Brain injuries and near-death experiences change people's plans for their lives more than almost anything else. And when our brains don't work right, we become vulnerable and need people to help us instead of criticizing or judging us. Some people who had a stroke and got better became much more kind and understanding after they got better. Don't be surprise!
So help your love one to recover quickly from a stroke. Help the person get back his/her ambulatory ability. Help them to be more positive. Help them get back to normality as much as possible. Train their brain with NeurOptimal® brain training. Start their brain training immediately.
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