When the blood flow is restricted in the blood vessels of the brain, a person can develop a stroke. What is a stroke? A stroke is when the brain dies, resulting in numerous neurological difficulties for the sufferer. When these stroke symptoms appear, it is very important that the person is given emergency medical intervention as soon as possible. Indeed, stroke symptoms cannot be ignored, as they indicate a condition that could cost a person their life. And even if a person doesn't lose their life, they could lose enough of their brain that they could become permanently disabled. This is why this article has been created; to help let the public know what the typical stroke symptoms are. By knowing the common stroke symptoms ahead of time, a person will be more apt to take the sufferer to the Emergency Room.
Paralysis
One of the most foremost stroke symptoms is paralysis. When paralysis happens it is sudden and without reason. It usually occurs on just one side of a person's body. The areas that tend to be affected include the legs, the arms or the face. Feelings of numbness and weakness usually accompany the paralysis.
Vision Problems
Vision problems are another common stroke symptom. A person can have sudden blurriness, double vision or even blindness in one or both of their eyes. If a person already has bad vision, a stroke would make it even worse.
Neurological Problems
It makes sense that stroke symptoms would produce neurological problems, especially since the condition originates in the brain anyway. When a person develops a stroke, they might seem confused or in a stupor. This could be accompanied by difficulty speaking. Some may think a person acting in this manner might be drunk, but if the individual is exhibiting some of the other common stroke symptoms, stroke needs to be suspected, even if the person may have drank too much. Regardless, if the stroke is allowed to progress, the neurological problems could result in seizures or even unconsciousness.
Headache
A severe, migraine-like headache is a signature stroke symptom. Unfortunately, it is so common that neither the stroke sufferer nor their families would suspect anything.
All of the above-mentioned symptoms occur for the two major types of strokes, (which are ischemic and hemorrhagic). With an ischemic stroke, the stroke symptoms will occur quickly, usually on one side of the body. With a hemorrhagic stroke, the stroke symptoms occur over time, though it will rarely last days, (without killing the person).
If a person is not sure whether or not a loved one is suffering from a stroke, they can perform the FAST test. They would start by asking the person to smile, (this is the FACE portion of the acroymn). If one side of the face drops, they could be experiencing a stroke symptom. Next, the person should be asked to raise their arms, (which adheres to the ARMS principle of the term). If one arm drifts downward, that's a possible stroke symptom. Thirdly, there's SPEECH, where a person is asked to repeat a sentence. If the words are slurred or otherwise not properly said, that's a possible stroke symptom. Finally, an individual needs to consider TIME, where basically they call 911 as soon as possible.