Probably the most important factor affecting a person's future after a stroke is whether she has another stroke. There are two important factors to consider:
- Having already had one stroke increases the risk of having another.
- The risk for another stroke is highest within the first few weeks and months.
It's always important to do everything possible to prevent a future stroke.
The future after a stroke isn't always clear. There are many things that affect stroke prognosis, including impossible-to-measure factors such as how the brain heals and rewires itself. One of your most challenging tasks as a caregiver looking at stroke prognosis will be coming to terms with uncertainty about the future -- and helping the person in your care do the same.
