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Listed below are the major symptoms of stroke.
If you believe someone in your household
is suffering a stroke attack, immediately call 911.
Your call will be directed to the necessary medical professionals
in your area.
STROKE SYMPTOMS
Stroke symptoms may not be as dramatic or painful as a heart
attack, but the results can be just as devastating. A brain
attack –like a heart attack– is an immediate medical
emergency.
Common symptoms include:
- Sudden weakness, numbness, or paralysis of
the face, arm, or leg (especially on one side of the body)
- Sudden loss of speech or difficulty talking
- Sudden difficulty understanding language
or confusion
- Sudden loss of vision (in one eye or loss
of vision to one side).
- Sudden, severe headache with no apparent
cause
- Sudden loss of balance or coordination, often
associated with dizziness
About one-third of all strokes are preceded
by one or more “mini-strokes,” known as transient
ischemic attacks (TIAs). TIAs can occur days, weeks or even
months before a stroke. A TIA occurs when a patient experiences
the symptoms of a stroke that last for only a short time, then
totally resolve. TIAs are caused by temporary interruption in
the blood supply to the brain and the average length of a TIA
is about 14 minutes.
TIA symptoms may last hours but usually persist for a few moments.
For instance, if you experience a sudden loss of vision, speech
problems, or weakness or numbness in an arm or leg that disappears,
you might have experienced a TIA.
Because TIAs are temporary and the body soon returns to normal,
it is easy to ignore them or to believe that the problem has
disappeared. However, it is dangerous to ignore TIAs, because
the underlying problem that caused the TIA continues to exist.
TIAs are often early warning signs of a more serious and debilitating
stroke in the near future. If you think you have had a recent
TIA call your doctor immediately.
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