Sign of Stroke

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It is simple – at the first sign of stroke, seek medical assistance immediately. This simple step, if taken without delay can save your life an perhaps reduce the damage caused. Learn to recognize the dangers.

Stroke is a cardiovascular event, affecting the blood vessels that supply the brain with blood, nutrients and oxygen. Approximately 80% of all reported strokes are caused by a clot or thrombus blocking the flow of blood to the brain. The most frequent cause of blood clots is the result of arteries being damaged by fatty plaques. Whenever part of the brain is deprived of blood, nerve cells in the effected part of the brain start to die. When this occurs the part of the body controlled by this particular section of the brain will no longer work properly, if at all.

Learning the signs of stroke can save your life

Knowing the warning signs of stroke and being able to recognize them is vitally important, and acting upon them is even more so. Taking rapid action will greatly increase your chances of survival. Below you will find the most commons indications that something is going wrong:

Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech
Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
Sudden severe headache with no known cause

These symptoms may occur alone or together. If you, or somebody near you, experience any of them cal for medical help straight away. In some instances the symptoms may last only a few moments and seem to disappear, however, they are still serious warning signs and you must seek treatment.

The warning sign of a TIA stroke are the same as those of stroke

Normally speaking, the difference between the symptoms of a TIA (transient Ischemic attack) and a stroke, is that the signs of a TIA are temporary. All because the symptoms may rapidly disappear, they should never be ignored. They are important predictors of stroke. In the United Kingdom, it has been suggested that there is a 8% risk of stroke within a month after a TIA (Font: BMJ – ABC of Arterial and Venous Disease, Lees, Bath & Naylor).

Prompt medical attention can determine whether a person is in danger of a major stroke or has had a transient ischemic attack, or TIA. As said above, at the first sign of stroke, call for help.