Signs of a stroke before it happens

A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is limited, causing damage to brain cells. There are warning signs that indicate a person is experiencing a stroke, but these occur suddenly. When the brain does not get blood, the brain A person should call 911 immediately if someone they are with experiences any symptoms of stroke — especially if they occur suddenly. This article discusses when stroke symptoms may begin, what they are, and ways to help prevent stroke. Share on Pinterest Maskot/Getty Images The In other words, symptoms will not slowly develop over time. Instead, they will appear quickly, often seemingly out of nowhere. However, some people may experience a Unlike a stroke, a TIA People who have already experienced a stroke also have a Therefore, while stroke symptoms occur suddenly, a person may consider a TIA or previous stroke as early warning signs of future stroke. Many organizations, such as the • Face drooping: One side of a person’s face may droop, and if someone asks them to smile, they may not be able to. • Arm weakness: A person may not be able to raise both arms — one of their arms may drift downward when they try. • Speech difficulty: A person’s speech may become slurred or unusual. • Time to call 911: Someone should call 911 immediately if they notice any of the symptoms above in themselves or others. Signs of a stroke can • numbness or weakness in the face, leg, or arm on one side • an unusually severe • slurred speech • • difficulty seeing or • l...

Warning Signs Warning Signs of Stroke Stroke symptoms often happen suddenly, and every person’s symptoms may vary. The warning signs of stroke include: • Weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg, usually on one side of the body • Trouble speaking or understanding • Problems with vision, such as dimness or loss of vision in one or both eyes • Dizziness or problems with balance or coordination • Problems with movement or walking • Fainting or seizure • Severe headaches with no known cause, especially if they happen suddenly Other less common symptoms of stroke may include: • Sudden nausea or vomiting not caused by a viral illness • Brief loss or change of consciousness, such as fainting, confusion, seizures or coma Transient ischemic attack Called a mini-stroke, a Think FAST The National Stroke Association’s acronym FAST can help you quickly determine whether someone is having a stroke: • F (Face): Ask the person to smile. Does one side of his or her face droop? • A (Arms): Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward? • S (Speech): Ask for a simple phrase (such as,“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”) to be repeated. Is speech slurred or hard to understand? • T (Time): If you observe any of these signs, call 911 immediately. If you or someone else has any of these symptoms, act FAST and call 911. With stroke, time lost is brain lost.

Share on Pinterest Getty Images/Hirurg A stroke happens when blood flow to part of your brain is blocked or interrupted. This prevents the brain cells from getting the oxygen and nutrients needed to survive. A stroke is a medical emergency that needs immediate treatment. Recognizing the symptoms of a stroke can help you get help as quickly as possible. Although stroke symptoms seem to happen out of the blue, there may, in some situations, be potential warning signs that shouldn’t be ignored. It’s not always possible to predict a A severe or unusual headache Although this isn’t the case for all strokes, in some situations, a certain kind of headache may be an early indicator of a pending stroke. According to a The authors of the study noted that these headaches were either severe in nature or different from any previous headache. Additionally, these headaches started within 7 days of a stroke and often lasted until stroke symptoms happened. It was also found that participants who had a sentinel headache before a stroke were more likely to have had A sentinel headache is also considered to be a sign of an A transient ischemic attack (TIA) Another possible warning sign of a stroke is a Although the symptoms of a TIA usually don’t last long, it’s important to get medical attention, even if the symptoms go away. While a TIA usually resolves quickly, it may be a sign that a more serious stroke could happen down the road. In fact, it’s estimated that about Interestingly, a Anyone...

While a transient ischemic attack (TIA) may increase your risk of stroke in the future, prompt medical treatment may minimize this risk and increase the likelihood of a long, full life. A transient ischemic attack (TIA), also called a “ministroke,” is caused by a temporary blockage of a blood vessel in or around the brain. A TIA can cause stroke-like symptoms that usually resolve within Although a TIA typically doesn’t cause lasting symptoms, it may put you at an Read on to learn more about how having a TIA affects your life expectancy. The symptoms of a Even though TIA symptoms usually don’t cause long lasting complications, getting evaluated soon after your symptoms begin may help a medical team find the underlying cause of your TIA. Accurate diagnosis of your condition and treatment can go a long way toward reducing your risk of a sudden, possibly life threatening, stroke in the future. The risk of a stroke after a TIA seems to be particularly high within the first TIA and long-term stroke risk In a large Out of this large group of people, 435 experienced a TIA. The researchers matched these people with a control group of 2,175 people who didn’t develop a TIA. The authors found that 130 people (29.5%) who had a TIA went on to have a stroke. The time period between a TIA and stroke among this group was as follows: • 28 strokes (21.5%) occurred within 7 days • 40 strokes (30.8%) occurred within 30 days • 51 strokes (39.2%) occurred within 90 days • 63 strokes (48.5%) occu...

You must enable JavaScript to play content Your likelihood of experiencing a stroke doubles every decade after you reach 55. So as you get older you should be particularly aware of these. Not just a ‘funny turn’ Many people experience 'funny turns' and simply dismiss them, but they could be an important warning sign: a TIA or transient ischaemic attack. These are often known as a mini stroke or ‘warning stroke’, but people aren't as aware of them as they should be. The symptoms are the same as a major stroke but they can be over in minutes. Remember the symptoms of both a stroke and a TIA by the word Fast: F: Has their face fallen on one side? Can they smile? A: Can they raise both arms and keep them there? S: Is their speech slurred? T: Time to call 999 if you see any single one of these signs. Remember, even if the symptoms pass quickly they could be a vital warning sign. Each year in the UK 46,000 people have a TIA and 1 in 12 then go on to have a major stroke. You should ideally check your pulse every day, preferably at the same time. Place your fingers on the inside of your wrist, and count the number of beats you feel for 30 seconds. Then, multiply this by two in order to get the total beats per minute. A ‘normal pulse’ will be between 60 and 100 beats per minute, but if you have AF it can go up to 140 times a minute. Also be aware of irregularities in your heart beat. If you are concerned, speak to your doctor. Get to know your pulse, and don’t dismiss any symptoms ...

Liz Sauchelli Liz is an editor and reporter for a daily newspaper in Northern New England, where she has worked since graduating from the State University of New York at Oswego. Liz, who has chronic migraine disease, enjoys writing about older adults and mental health. She lives in a rural community near her favorite mountain with her husband and two cats. If you're smelling burnt toast, the first thing you should probably do is check your toaster. Although lots of people think smelling something burning is a sign of a They affect approximately 795,000 Americans each year — and around 137,000 of those people die as a result. While most people who have strokes are men, most of those who die are women, particularly Black women, who We reached out to What is a stroke? A stroke occurs when the brain's blood supply is reduced or stopped, which causes the brain to be deprived of oxygen and nutrients. This can result in temporary or permanent conditions, including paralysis, memory loss, difficulty swallowing or speaking, pain or tingling and sometimes death. What are the first signs of a stroke? The • Sudden numbness or weakness in any part of your body • Trouble expressing yourself with language, including the inability to speak or understand what's being said to you • Difficulty walking • Sudden onset of any kind of confusion • A sudden and painful headache How early do the warning signs appear before a stroke happens, and which symptoms of a stroke are more likely to start da...

Strokes seem to come out of the blue. But most of them happen due to decades-long damage to blood vessels and growth of artery-clogging plaque. That raises the question: Is there an early warning test for stroke? Yes and no. A test called the carotid ultrasound can detect the buildup of cholesterol-filled plaque in the carotid arteries in the neck. These arteries deliver blood to the brain. The test, which uses sound waves, is quick, safe, and without any immediate potential for harm. It makes perfect sense for someone experiencing lightheadedness, memory loss, or the warning signs of a stroke or mini-stroke. Having a carotid ultrasound test also makes sense for anyone in whom a doctor hears an abnormal sound called a bruit (BREW-ee) as he or she listens to the carotid arteries through a stethoscope. The scan is also a reasonable idea when a person has known risk factors for stroke, such as a previous "mini-stroke," high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes. But a carotid ultrasound isn't a good idea for otherwise healthy people at average risk for stroke. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force discourages routine ultrasounds of the carotid arteries. Only about 1% of the general population has significant narrowing of these arteries. And less than 10% of first-time strokes are associated with such narrowings. In addition, roughly eight in every 100 ultrasounds produce a false positive — a result that indicates the presence of significant narrowing that isn't real...