A stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain is blocked or bursts. If a blood vessel becomes blocked then that part of the brain starts to die because it is not getting a supply of blood. This means part of the body controlled by the damaged area of the brain cannot work properly.
Brain damage can begin within minutes, so it is important to know the symptoms of stroke. Quick treatment can help limit damage to the brain and increase the chance of a full recovery.
Symptoms of a stroke:
- Numbness, weakness, or paralysis of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body.
- Trouble seeing in one or both eyes. You may have double vision, or things may look dim or blurry.
- Confusion or trouble understanding.
- Slurred or garbled speech.
- Trouble walking. Feel unsteady, dizzy, or clumsy.
See your doctor if you have symptoms that seem like a stroke. This is because you may have had a transient ischemic attack (TIA), sometimes called a mini-stroke. A TIA is a warning that a stroke may happen soon. Early treatment for a TIA could help prevent a stroke.
There are two types of stroke. An ischemic stroke develops when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in the brain. The clot may form in the blood vessel or travel from somewhere else in the blood system. About 8 out of 10 strokes are ischemic strokes. They are the most common type of stroke in older adults. A hemorrhagic stroke develops when an artery in the brain leaks or bursts. This causes bleeding inside the brain or near the surface of the brain. Hemorrhagic strokes are less common but more deadly than ischemic strokes.
If a stroke is diagnosed within the first 3 hours of when symptoms start, doctors may be able to use medicines that can lead to a better recovery.
The first thing the doctor needs to find out is what kind of stroke it is: ischemic or hemorrhagic. This is important because the medicine given to treat a stroke caused by a blood clot could be deadly if used for a stroke caused by bleeding in the brain.
To find out what kind of stroke it is, the doctor will do a type of X-ray called a CT scan of the brain, which can show if there is bleeding. The doctor may order other tests to find the location of the clot or bleeding, check for the amount of brain damage, and check for other conditions that can cause symptoms similar to a stroke.
The most important take home message would be, if you think you are having a stroke, call your doctor immediately or go to the emergency department. This is because early diagnosis could limit the damage by giving medication and aid a faster recovery.
