Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesSignsLong-Term EffectsTreatmentRecoveryPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types
Signs
Long-Term Effects
Treatment
Recovery
Prevention
A stroke is an emergency that requires immediate medical attention. Treatment may include blood thinners, fluid management, and/or medication or surgery to remove a blood clot or relieve pressure in the skull. Recovery may include physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy.
This article discusses the types of left-sided strokes, as well as signs, effects, treatment, and prevention.
Verywell / Daniel Fishel
Types of Left-Sided Strokes
Ischemic
Ischemic strokes may also occur due to a blood clot traveling to the brain from the heart or the carotid artery.
Hemorrhagic
Ahemorrhagic strokecan occur due to a rupturedbrain aneurysm(a bulging area in the wall of an artery), a damaged blood vessel that leaks, ordamage that occurred during an ischemic stroke.
Brain damage from a hemorrhagic stroke can lead toseizures(uncontrolled electrical disturbances in the brain) due to irritation from the bleeding. In some people, seizures can persist even after the blood is completely reabsorbed. This most commonly occurs when the blood affects an area of the brain that controls motor function.
Left-sided strokes occur about as frequently as right-sided strokes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every year, more than 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke.
Signs of a Left-Sided Stroke
There are severalsigns of a left-sided stroke. They include:
Get immediate medical attention if you or someone else experiences any of these symptoms. A stroke is a medical emergency that can worsen quickly, causing disability or death. The long-term effects can be minimized if treatment is started promptly.
Left-sided strokes vs. right-sided strokesA left-sided stroke affects the right side of a person’s body, while a right-sided stroke affects the left side. Left-sided strokes also cause problems with speech, while right-sided strokes cause problems with seeing or responding to things that occur on the left side of the body.
Left-sided strokes vs. right-sided strokes
A left-sided stroke affects the right side of a person’s body, while a right-sided stroke affects the left side. Left-sided strokes also cause problems with speech, while right-sided strokes cause problems with seeing or responding to things that occur on the left side of the body.
Long-Term Effects of a Left-Sided Stroke
The lasting effects of a left-sided stroke range from mild to severe, depending on the size of the stroke and the timing of treatment.
Paralysis and Weakness
Hemiplegiaandhemiparesiscan occur on the right side of the body after a left-sided stroke:
Immediately after a left-sided stroke, right-body hemiplegia or hemiparesis will be apparent. After months or longer, the weak areas of the body can become gradually stronger and more coordinated. Individuals with moderate-to-severe weakness are more likely to experience spasticity, with stiffness and tightness of the muscles.
Decreased Sensation on the Right Side
Diminished sensation on the right side of the body can occur after a stroke involving the left sensory cortex or the left internal capsule. Diminished sensation can involve the face, arm, and/or leg, and sometimes the torso.
Sensory impairment can indirectly affect your ability to control your body because you rely on sensory feedback to coordinate your movements.
In addition to decreased sensation, sometimesparesthesiascan occur in the same areas that have diminished sensation. Paresthesias involve numbness, tingling, burning, or a sense of pins and needles. They can occur when the specific area of the body is touched or without a trigger.
Speech and Language Problems
A left-sided stroke can cause a range of problems with speech, language, and swallowing.
Aphasia
Left-sided strokes are known to cause aphasia, which is a language deficit. There are several types of aphasia, and they occur when one or more of the speech areas of the brain are damaged.
Wernicke’saphasia, also called fluent aphasia, causes difficulty understanding language. A person who has this type of aphasia can speak fluently, but the words do not make sense. Wernicke’s aphasia can occur when there is damage to the language area near the left sensory cortex of the brain.
Broca’s aphasiais a type of language deficit in which a person may have full or mildly impaired language comprehension, with difficulty forming words and sentences. This type of aphasia occurs when there is damage to the language area near the left motor cortex of the brain.
Language CentersAphasia occurs when the language areas of the brain are damaged. Language is usually located on the left hemisphere of the brain. For nearly all people who are right-handed, the language functions are located on the left side of the brain. Some people who are left-handed have the language centers on the right side of the brain.
Language Centers
Aphasia occurs when the language areas of the brain are damaged. Language is usually located on the left hemisphere of the brain. For nearly all people who are right-handed, the language functions are located on the left side of the brain. Some people who are left-handed have the language centers on the right side of the brain.
3 Types of Aphasia (and Less Common Ones)
Dysphagia
A stroke can cause difficulty swallowing, which is also known as dysphagia. This can happen if the stroke affects the part of the brain that coordinates your swallowing muscles.
Stoke may also cause problems with swallowing because of its effect on the muscles around your mouth, your ability to sit up straight, and how you use eating utensils.
Apraxia of Speech
Speechapraxiais difficulty with the brain’s control of the motor movements of speech. Unlike dysphagia, which is not specific to damage on one side of the brain and affects speech and swallowing, speech apraxia is a type of language impairment.
Apraxia of speech can occur as a result of damage to the left insular cortex, an area deep in the left hemisphere of the brain.
Vision Problems
After a left-sided stroke involving the temporal lobe, parietal lobe, or occipital cortex at the back of the brain, a person can have vision defects on the right side.Homonymous hemianopiafrom a left-sided stroke is vision loss on the right visual field of both eyes. It can affect the upper or lower field of vision or both.
Cognitive Impairments
After a stroke affecting the left hemisphere of the brain, a person can develop difficulty thinking and making decisions. These cognitive deficits, often described as executive dysfunction, can occur due to damage of the left frontal lobe, left temporal lobe, or left parietal lobe. Generally, a larger stroke is expected to cause more severe cognitive impairments.
Treatment for Left-Sided Strokes
A stroke should be treated immediately after symptoms begin. Calling for emergency transport to the hospital is important to get rapid and proper medical attention on arrival.
Treatment for an Ischemic Stroke
The first line of treatment for an ischemic stroke is a medication called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). It helps break up the blood clot that is causing the blockage in your brain. This medication is usually given within the first three hours after symptoms begin.Depending on the circumstances, some healthcare providers may give tPA up to four-and-a-half hours after symptoms start.
If you can’t have tPA, you may be given a blood thinner to help stop the blood clot from growing and prevent new ones from forming.
Some people require surgery to remove the clot in the brain, called a thrombectomy. During this procedure, the surgeon places a long, flexible tube into an artery in your thigh and maneuvers it into the blocked artery. A surgical device is then used to remove the blockage.
Treatment for a Hemorrhagic Stroke
Treatment for a hemorrhagic stroke typically includes blood pressure medication to help reduce the strain on the blood vessels in your brain. You may also receive vitamin K, which can help stop bleeding.
Medical procedures used to treat a hemorrhagic stroke include surgery to clamp the aneurysm and stop the bleeding. A similar procedure called coil embolization involves threading a long, flexible tube through an artery in your upper thigh and into the brain. A tiny coil that helps blood clot is then inserted into the aneurysm.
You may also need surgery to drain excess fluid or pooled blood. Sometimes, a part of the skull is temporarily removed in order to relieve pressure. You may also need a blood transfusion to replace blood lost during the stroke or during surgery.
Benefits and Preparations for In-Home Physical Therapy
Rehabilitation and Recovery
After your condition is stabilized, treatment focuses on recovery andrehabilitation. Patients who qualify for and complete a course of intensive/acute rehabilitation may have better outcomes and lower mortality (rates of death) than those who do not get this care.
All neurological rehabilitation takes time but can substantially help a person improve their ability to communicate with others and function independently.
The time it takes to recover from a left-sided stroke depends on how severe the stroke was and the amount of damage done. It can take months or longer to improve after a stroke. A person may recover almost completely or have substantial permanent handicaps after a stroke.
After you have had a stroke, you are at higher risk of having another one. It is important that you follow your healthcare provider’s guidance for preventing another stroke.
Stroke prevention is a comprehensive strategy that involves reducing the risk of cerebrovascular disease. Prevention involves medication, diet, and lifestyle approaches.
Stroke prevention includes:
Summary
A left-sided stroke affects the left side of the brain and the right side of the body. This type of stroke can also cause cognitive and language problems, which can include difficulty with comprehension and/or speech.
A stroke is a medical emergency, and immediate treatment can help prevent disability or death. Recovery after a left-sided stroke involves physical rehabilitation, as well as speech and language therapy.
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Stroke.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Stroke facts.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Stroke.National Institute of Health.Dysphagia.Conterno M, Kümmerer D, Dressing A, Glauche V, Urbach H, Weiller C, Rijntjes M.Speech apraxia and oral apraxia: association or dissociation? A multivariate lesion-symptom mapping study in acute stroke patients.Exp Brain Res.2021. doi:10.1007/s00221-021-06224-3Meier EL, Kelly CR, Goldberg EB, Hillis AE.Executive control deficits and lesion correlates in acute left hemisphere stroke survivors with and without aphasia.Brain Imaging Behav. 2021:1–10. doi:10.1007/s11682-021-00580-yNational Lung, Heart, and Blood Institute.Stroke treatment.American Stroke Association.Rehab therapy after a stroke.
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Stroke.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Stroke facts.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Stroke.National Institute of Health.Dysphagia.Conterno M, Kümmerer D, Dressing A, Glauche V, Urbach H, Weiller C, Rijntjes M.Speech apraxia and oral apraxia: association or dissociation? A multivariate lesion-symptom mapping study in acute stroke patients.Exp Brain Res.2021. doi:10.1007/s00221-021-06224-3Meier EL, Kelly CR, Goldberg EB, Hillis AE.Executive control deficits and lesion correlates in acute left hemisphere stroke survivors with and without aphasia.Brain Imaging Behav. 2021:1–10. doi:10.1007/s11682-021-00580-yNational Lung, Heart, and Blood Institute.Stroke treatment.American Stroke Association.Rehab therapy after a stroke.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Stroke.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Stroke facts.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Stroke.National Institute of Health.Dysphagia.Conterno M, Kümmerer D, Dressing A, Glauche V, Urbach H, Weiller C, Rijntjes M.Speech apraxia and oral apraxia: association or dissociation? A multivariate lesion-symptom mapping study in acute stroke patients.Exp Brain Res.2021. doi:10.1007/s00221-021-06224-3Meier EL, Kelly CR, Goldberg EB, Hillis AE.Executive control deficits and lesion correlates in acute left hemisphere stroke survivors with and without aphasia.Brain Imaging Behav. 2021:1–10. doi:10.1007/s11682-021-00580-yNational Lung, Heart, and Blood Institute.Stroke treatment.American Stroke Association.Rehab therapy after a stroke.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Stroke.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Stroke facts.
American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Stroke.
National Institute of Health.Dysphagia.
Conterno M, Kümmerer D, Dressing A, Glauche V, Urbach H, Weiller C, Rijntjes M.Speech apraxia and oral apraxia: association or dissociation? A multivariate lesion-symptom mapping study in acute stroke patients.Exp Brain Res.2021. doi:10.1007/s00221-021-06224-3
Meier EL, Kelly CR, Goldberg EB, Hillis AE.Executive control deficits and lesion correlates in acute left hemisphere stroke survivors with and without aphasia.Brain Imaging Behav. 2021:1–10. doi:10.1007/s11682-021-00580-y
National Lung, Heart, and Blood Institute.Stroke treatment.
American Stroke Association.Rehab therapy after a stroke.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
