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One of the gravest medical emergencies that a man or woman can experience unexpectedly is a stroke.
While it can be nerve-wracking seeing a loved one experiencing the full effects of a stroke—or, heaven forbid, experiencing it yourself—proper medical care can help patients make a recovery from the condition.
If you or a loved one is experiencing a stroke, it’s best to seek medical care immediately. While full recovery isn’t always guaranteed, up to 50% of patients make a nearly full recovery with only a few minor impairments if treated quickly.
Stroke recovery procedures are often set in stone the moment a patient steps into the emergency care unit.
However, novel treatments that aren’t typically associated with stroke recovery have been gaining experts’ attention—with one such treatment being testosterone replacement therapy.
Let’s look at the stroke recovery timeline in more detail and see how testosterone therapy can benefit stroke patients.
How Stroke Recovery Is Often Carried Out: A Timeline
Stroke recovery is a multifaceted process that varies from person to person. It also involves the watchful care of multiple medical professionals, particularly:
- Physiatrists
- Physical therapists
- Neurologists
- Occupational therapists
- Speech-language pathologists
- Nurses
The timeliness and response time of the first stage of the stroke treatment is critical, so if you’re experiencing any FAST symptoms (facial weakness, arm weakness and slurred speech), head to the nearest medical facility at once.
Here’s a general timeline of a standard stroke recovery treatment procedure. (We will get to its association with testosterone shortly, afterwards)
- Immediate Response (Hours 1-4): Upon arrival at an emergency unit, doctors quickly determine the type of stroke—either an acute ischemic stroke or a hemorrhagic stroke—and provide the necessary interventions.
- Short-Term Acute Care (Days 1-7): Here, doctors monitor vitals and begin acute care depending on the patient’s complications. Ischemic stroke patients are given thrombolytics to minimize clotting. Hemorrhagic stroke patients may need surgery and endovascular procedures to help their cause. Patients will also be moved to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) or a specialized stroke unit for further treatment.
- Rehabilitation Phase (Week 1-8): Once acute care has been administered, patients will undergo an extensive rehabilitation phase to address any lingering symptomatic complications from the stroke. This process varies from individual to individual depending on stroke severity; some can take as little as 10 days to recover while others could take two months—or even more.
- Long-Term Recovery (Lifelong): While a handful of stroke survivors get a second chance at a normal life, not every survivor can boast the same. Continuous physical, occupational, or speech therapies are administered to patients with long-term stroke symptoms to improve their quality of life.
As mentioned earlier, the timeliness of when the stroke patient enters critical care is crucial. Delays in hospital admission by hours or minutes can increase cardiovascular risk and also increase the chances of a transient ischemic attack.
The best way to prevent this is by going to a doctor at the first sign of a stroke.
What Is Testosterone Treatment Therapy?
Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is a medically supervised treatment created to address a low serum testosterone level in the body.
It’s often prescribed by doctors when a patient’s testosterone level has symptoms of hypogonadism, which is often marked by a blood testosterone count of less than 300 ng/dL.
This form of therapy is a commonly prescribed one—and for good reason. TRT is proven to be effective in improving testosterone concentrations among elderly males of varying energy levels.
In particular, it helps in counteracting the harmful effects of low testosterone, such as brittle bone density, erectile dysfunction, and reduced muscle strength.
Furthermore, testosterone replacement therapy has the added effect of improving cardiovascular health. Let’s look into this in more detail.
When Testosterone Comes Into Action: Stroke Recovery
While not a direct causation, there’s a link between high testosterone levels and an increased chance of post-stroke recovery.
In one study involving 111 male stroke patients, those who had normal levels of testosterone recovered more quickly than men with low testosterone levels.
Furthermore, symptoms typically associated with testosterone deficiency, such as low physical function, diminished daily activities, lack of motivation, fatigue, and memory deterioration, are also symptoms experienced by stroke survivors.
Therefore, it can be concluded that the effects of testosterone treatment also aid in the recovery of symptoms associated with a stroke.
Also, a 2021 study found that men with low testosterone levels had an increased chance of experiencing a stroke.
One way to reverse it? Testosterone replacement therapy. This treatment is a no-brainer solution to help bring testosterone back to normal range and further reduce the risk of stroke as a result.
Natural Ways to Boost Testosterone Levels
Besides clinical treatment, it’s also a good idea to look into your daily habits and make some difficult but necessary adjustments to your lifestyle.
- Eat a balanced diet: Include vitamin D, Zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids in your diet
- Sleep well: Be sure to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night
- Limit sugar: Avoid cakes, cookies, and refined sugars
- Exercise regularly: Lift weights and explore exercises like HIIT workouts that target all your muscle groups
By doing these habits, and avoiding harmful substances like ED pills, you can pave the road for good testosterone levels and a healthy life.
Get Testosterone Treatment and More at Ft. Lauderdale, Florida’s Best Clinic For Quality Clinical Risk Management
Testosterone supplementation can be a good way to not only increase low testosterone levels, but to also help aid in the treatment of stroke.
While it’s not the core solution for the condition, it helps reduce the chances of cardiovascular events in men—which ultimately leads to decreased stroke risk.
Need more assistance? The men’s health specialists at Preferred Men’s Medical Center have a curated roster of specialized doctors and experts ready to provide you with medical assistance at a moment’s notice.
Besides testosterone therapy, we also offer ED therapy, hormone therapy, andropause treatment, medical weight loss, RestoreWave therapy, and customized healthy living programs to help men reclaim their sex lives and independence.
Ready to live your life to the fullest? Schedule a consultation with us today, your initial consultation and first treatment are completely free.