Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesSignsEffectsTreatmentPreventionFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types
Signs
Effects
Treatment
Prevention
Frequently Asked Questions
Strokesare defined as right-sided orleft-sidedbased on which hemisphere (side) of the brain is affected. Since differentregions of the braincontrol specific functions, the effects of a stroke correlate to the damaged area of the brain.
Verywell / Ellen Lindner
Types of Right Hemisphere Strokes
Any stroke, including a right-sided stroke, can occur due to either a blood clot, bleeding, or both.
Ischemic
Often,small vessel strokesoccur due to atherosclerosis of an artery in the brain. Atherosclerosis is a combination of blood vessel damage and a buildup of material that can eventually lead to complete blockage of blood flow.
Hemorrhagic
A right-sided stroke can occur suddenly, and it can cause:
Sometimes a stroke can evolve rapidly, and the symptoms can seem confusing and overwhelming. If you or someone else experiences any of these signs, get medical attention immediately.
Signs and Symptoms of Stroke
The specific effects that you experience from a right-sided stroke can become more obvious to you as you become more medically stable in the days after the initial event. Effects can persist for years, and sometimes the effects can improve over time.
A right-sided stroke causes immediate and lasting effects that differ from those of a left-sided stroke.
Hemiplegia on the Left Side
Hemiplegiais paralysis (complete loss of movement) on one side of the body. A right-sided stroke can cause hemiplegia of the whole left side of the body.
More commonly, this type of stroke causes left-sidehemiparesis, which is diminished strength, without total paralysis. It usually affects only the face, arm, or leg—not necessarily the whole left side.
Sometimes, months or years after the stroke,spasticity(muscle stiffness or rigidity) can develop in the weak muscles. This occurs when a stroke affects the right motor strip of the cerebral cortex (which helps control movement) or the right internal capsule (nerve fibers from the motor strip run through this area).
What Are Hemiplegia and Hemiparesis?
Diminished Sensation on the Left Side
After a right-sided stroke, it is possible to have diminished sensation or loss of sensation on the left side of the body. Sometimesparesthesias(numbness, tingling, or other unusual sensations) or pain can develop in the areas of the body that have diminished sensation. This usually begins after weeks, months, or longer.
Sensory disturbances on the left side of the body can occur due to a stroke in the right sensory strip of the cerebral cortex or the right thalamus.
Prosopagnosia
One of the rare effects of a right-sided stroke isprosopagnosia, which is an inability to recognize faces. This can occur due to a stroke affecting the right fusiform gyrus, an area near the back of the brain that works to help identify faces.
Left Neglect
Neglect can occur when a stroke affects the right parietal lobe (a back part of the brain).
Challenges of NeglectNeglect after a right-sided stroke can make it especially difficult to participate in physical therapy and other aspects of rehabilitation.
Challenges of Neglect
Neglect after a right-sided stroke can make it especially difficult to participate in physical therapy and other aspects of rehabilitation.
Homonymous Hemianopia
A right-sided stroke can cause loss of vision on the left side from both eyes. This can affect the whole left side, or only the upper or lower part of vision on the left side. When it affects the whole left side it is called lefthomonymous hemianopia. If it involves just the upper or lower part of vision it is a quadrantinopia.
A stroke affecting the right occipital lobe, which is the farthest back region of the brain, can cause left homonymous hemianopia.
Anosognosia
This complex effect is the inability of a person to recognize that they have a disability from a stroke. It is similar to neglect, but there are some subtle distinctions because a person who is experiencinganosognosiamay recognize the impaired area of the body, but can be unable to recognize the impairment.
Anosognosia can occur due to damage in the right parietal, temporal, or frontal lobe of the brain.
Pseudobulbar Affect
This condition can occur due to a number of different neurological conditions, including a right-sided stroke.The symptoms ofpseudobulbar affectinclude episodes of uncontrollable emotional outbursts, such as laughing or crying. They may be inappropriate, as the emotions come out at random times and don’t always make sense.
There are severaltreatments for a stroke. When the symptoms first begin, treatment can include blood pressure control, fluid management, and sometimes blood thinners. These interventions can reduce the damage of a stroke and improve survival.
After the acute stage of a right-sided stroke, treatment involves rehabilitation. This can include physical therapy, speech and swallow therapy, cognitive therapy, and occupational therapy to help maximize movement and self-care.
Benefits and Preparations for In-Home Physical Therapy
After a stroke, prevention of further strokes is important. Diagnostic testing involves tests that assessstroke risk factors. Prevention is focused on managing risk factors to reduce the chances of another stroke.
Prevention includes:
Prevention involves consistent surveillance of risk factors and assessment of risk factor control.
Summary
A stroke can have many different effects, depending on which side of the brain is affected. A right-sided stroke can cause left-sided weakness, left-sided sensory loss, loss of vision from the left side of both eyes, personality changes, neglect of the left side of the body, and lack of recognition of the stroke.
The risk of having a stroke can be reduced if risk factors are identified and managed. Often, a stroke can be treated, but there can be residual effects. The larger a stroke, the more substantial the effects. Stroke rehabilitation is an important part of recovery.
Coping With Stroke
The difference is that a right-sided stroke affects the right side of the brain, while a left-sided stroke affects the left side of the brain. They each can cause weakness and diminished sensation on the opposite side of the body. A right-sided stroke also can cause a lack of awareness of the weak side of the body, and this can make rehabilitation more difficult.
It depends on many factors. It can take longer to recover from a large stroke, especially if you have had other strokes before or if you have health problems, such as severe heart or lung disease.
3 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.Ishii D, Ishibashi K, Yuine H, Takeda K, Yamamoto S, Kaku Y, Yozu A, Kohno Y.Contralateral and ipsilateral interactions in the somatosensory pathway in healthy humans.Front Syst Neurosci. 2021;15:698758. doi:10.3389/fnsys.2021.698758National Institute of Health.Prosopagnosia.Gillespie DC, Cadden AP, Lees R, West RM, Broomfield NM.Prevalence of pseudobulbar affect following stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis.J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2016;25(3):688-94. doi:10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2015.11.038
3 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.Ishii D, Ishibashi K, Yuine H, Takeda K, Yamamoto S, Kaku Y, Yozu A, Kohno Y.Contralateral and ipsilateral interactions in the somatosensory pathway in healthy humans.Front Syst Neurosci. 2021;15:698758. doi:10.3389/fnsys.2021.698758National Institute of Health.Prosopagnosia.Gillespie DC, Cadden AP, Lees R, West RM, Broomfield NM.Prevalence of pseudobulbar affect following stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis.J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2016;25(3):688-94. doi:10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2015.11.038
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.
Ishii D, Ishibashi K, Yuine H, Takeda K, Yamamoto S, Kaku Y, Yozu A, Kohno Y.Contralateral and ipsilateral interactions in the somatosensory pathway in healthy humans.Front Syst Neurosci. 2021;15:698758. doi:10.3389/fnsys.2021.698758National Institute of Health.Prosopagnosia.Gillespie DC, Cadden AP, Lees R, West RM, Broomfield NM.Prevalence of pseudobulbar affect following stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis.J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2016;25(3):688-94. doi:10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2015.11.038
Ishii D, Ishibashi K, Yuine H, Takeda K, Yamamoto S, Kaku Y, Yozu A, Kohno Y.Contralateral and ipsilateral interactions in the somatosensory pathway in healthy humans.Front Syst Neurosci. 2021;15:698758. doi:10.3389/fnsys.2021.698758
National Institute of Health.Prosopagnosia.
Gillespie DC, Cadden AP, Lees R, West RM, Broomfield NM.Prevalence of pseudobulbar affect following stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis.J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2016;25(3):688-94. doi:10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2015.11.038
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