Do you have advice on vision, hearing loss, balance, speech?

2 1/2 years ago with my stroke, some artery burst. Will I see properly again, also with my hearing loss ill I hear again, or get my balance back, or even walk again, the arm won't work again anyway, or how about breath or talk properly?

Hello Garry,

Thank you for reaching out on EnableMe,

I am sorry to hear of the difficulties you are experiencing since your stroke 2 ½ years ago. We are pleased that you have reached out about this. It sounds like it has been a very challenging time for you over the years. Stroke recovery can be a life long journey for some survivors, so it is important that you have the right support and care around you. Do you have any support from any family or friends?

Many survivors experience vision problems after a stroke, and it can be challenging to manage. People who experience vision loss after a stroke may not fully recover their vision, but partial recovery is possible for some. An ophthalmologist is the best health professional to provide you with advice on your vision changes and you would need a referral from your local doctor (GP). Vision Australia can also provide assessment and management services for people who have low vision, or changed vision from a stroke. More information about their service can be found here: www.visionaustralia.org. You may also, like to read or listen to our vision resource page and vision after stroke fact sheet which talks about options available and some additional resources that might be helpful.

Do you have a local doctor or GP who is aware of your medical history? It is really important that you keep your doctor up to date with all the issues you are experiencing. You may also be eligible for the chronic conditions management treatment plan. If you are eligible you can access up to 5 sessions of allied health therapy such as Physiotherapy or Speech Pathology at a Medicare rebated rate. It would be worth talking with your GP about this.

Your GP can also talk to you about your hearing and suggest an assessment by an Audiologist. You can speak with your Gp about this, or check out places like Hearing Australia here or National Hearing Care here. It can be difficult to say whether your hearing will recover after a stroke, so it is best to speak to a hearing professional.

Have you worked with a physiotherapist after your stroke? They would be able to assess your overall physical mobility and help you manage your balance and arm movement. You can find a private physiotherapist local to you by visiting the find a physio link at the Australian Physiotherapy Australia website here. You can also talk to your local Doctor about a referral to a community rehabilitation program for a burst of rehabilitation. The StrokeLine service can help you find a local rehabilitation centre that would be appropriate.

In regards to being able to talk properly, have you seen a Speech Pathologist recently? They can help with communication issues, and if you are eligible for the chronic conditions management treatment plan, you can find a private Speech Pathologist here. We also have a lot of information on EnableMe about speech and language here. Depending on the trouble you are having with talking, there are a variety of treatments that may help.

I hope this information is useful, If you would like to speak about what is happening for you with a health professional, please reach out to our StrokeLine team on Ph. 1800 787 653.

Best wishes

Annabelle and Siobhan (StrokeLine)

Garry I am so sorry to read of your disappointment with recovery. Every stroke and recovery is different. Strokeline people have made excellent suggestions for you. To cope with a challenging time l go first to my GP who can direct me to the right person for help. Keep posting enableme as you will find understanding and encouragement within our community. Jenny.

HI Garry

12months ago I had a stoke

i have also had my hearing affected

ive been tested and im not deaf

i struggle to understand conversations in noisy environments(restaurants with reverberating walls etc)

i have found that even just wearing std industrial earplugs makes a huge difference

while using the plugs i can understand and hear all the converations at a table in a restaurant even with all the other background noise going on

being a musician i can no longer keep in time with the other band members

however when i can manage the volume of noise going into my ears-standing off to teh side of a stage away from the band i can follow and play along

audiologist only wanted to prescribe hearing devices-but thats not fixing the problem

maybe it will never be fixed and i just have to learn how to manage it

they told me i may never drive again because of my inattenion in my eyesight but i fixed that and im now back driving again

so anything is possible

hope some of this helps

regards

MAtt