May 21 2008
Signs and symptoms of a stroke
Learning about the signs and symptoms of a stroke may enable you or someone you know to get a proper treatment in time. The signs and symptoms of stroke normally occur with no warning and often there’s more than one symptom.
Signs and symptoms of a stroke include:
• Numbness, weakness, or paralysis of the face, arms or legs (Typically just on one side of the body)
• Problems with speaking or understanding speech (aphasia)
• Blurred, double or decreased vision
• Dizziness, loss of balance or loss of coordination
• A sudden, severe headache or an unusual headache, which may occur together with a stiff neck, facial pain, pain between the eyes, vomiting or altered consciousness
• Confusion, or problems with memory, spatial orientation or perception
In the majority of people there are no warning signs of a stroke. However, one possible symptom of an impending stroke is a transient ischemic attack (TIA). A TIA is a temporary disruptiom of blood flow to a part of the brain.
The symptoms of TIA are similar to those of a stroke, but they occur for a shorter period of time (a few minutes to 24 hours) and then disappear, without causing any visible permanent effects. A person may have more than one TIA, and the recurrent symptoms may be similar or differ.
A TIA is a sign of a serious underlying risk that a stroke may occur next. In case of people who have experienced a TIA the probability of having a stroke is much higher than in those who haven’t had a TIA.