3 minute read
when u.s. senator john fetterman suffered a debilitating stroke on the campaign trail last year, it revealed how little many people know about the repercussions that can follow a so-called “brain attack.”
now that fetterman has checked himself into a hospital to receive care for clinical depression , the american stroke association, a division of the american heart association, is speaking up. according to a scientific statement released by the organization, roughly one in three people who survive a stroke experience levels of depression that should be treated by a qualified professional.
“depression following a stroke can be a normal psychological reaction to the stress of the injury, disability or brush with mortality brought on by the stroke,” said lee h. schwamm , an american heart association volunteer and professor of neurology at harvard medical school in boston. “in other cases, it may be caused by structural, electrical or biochemical changes in the brain. if certain brain regions are injured, the systems that regulate emotion may be damaged and produce depression, anxiety or ptsd-like symptoms in stroke survivors.
according to the heart & stroke foundation , a stroke occurs when something blocks the flow of blood to the brain, damaging cells in the area. canadians suffer 108,707 strokes on an annual basis, or one every five minutes. with the potential for a wide range of symptoms to emerge depending on the area and extent of damage suffered, many canadians may not be receiving the care they need.
advertisement
advertisement
dave yasvinski is a writer with healthing.ca
