Warning Signs of Stroke: Quick Action Can Save Lives

A stroke, also known as a cerebrovascular accident, is a serious medical emergency. This mainly happens when blood flow to your brain is blocked or a blood vessel bursts due to a blood clot or fatty plaque buildup. 

Doctors refer to it as a “brain attack,” as when this happens, your brain cells begin to die within minutes, so quick action is important.

The warning signs of a stroke can be easy to miss, but being aware of them can save a life. Watch out for sudden numbness or weakness on one side of the body, trouble speaking or understanding speech, or vision changes that come out of nowhere.

A stroke can change someone’s life forever, as it can lead to physical, cognitive, and emotional impairment, including paralysis on one side of the body or vision problems, memory, and thinking issues. Hence, it is crucial to recognize early warning signs of a stroke and get immediate medical help, which can make all the difference.

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What are the Early Stroke Warning Signs that You Must Know?

Being aware of the warning signs of a stroke means one can significantly broaden the window of timely medical intervention. This improves survival rates and decreases the risk of long-term disability

1. Numbness of the Face, Arm, or Leg (usually on one side)

This means there is a loss of muscle control because of disturbed brain blood flow.

2. Confusion, Trouble speaking, or Understanding

This may indicate that the brain's language and understanding centers are affected due to interrupted circulation.

3. Sudden Trouble Vision

This could mean that there is an interruption of the visual pathways in the brain.

4. Sudden Dizziness & Lack of Coordination

There is a possibility that brain regions controlling movement and equilibrium are affected.

5. Sudden Unexplained Severe Headache

This could signal that there is a possible bleeding or vascular issue in the brain due to blockage of the blood supply.

6. One-sided Face Drooping or Numbness

This means that there is weakness because of brain hemisphere damage.

7. One Arm Weakness/Numbness

Indicates muscle control impairment on one body side due to brain injury.

8. Difficulty Walking

This indicates that motor coordination has been disturbed due to brain blood flow disruption.

9. Fainting or Seizures

This could result from sudden brain impairment during stroke onset.

10. Sudden Unexplained Nausea or Vomiting

This could signal that the stroke has affected brainstem function.

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How to Recognize a Stroke

The simple way to recognize a stroke is by using the BE FAST method. BE FAST stands for Balance, Eyes, Face, Arm, Speech, and Time.

If you see any of these signs, this means it's time to act fast.

1. B - Balance

If the person is suddenly facing trouble with balance or coordination.

2. 2. E - Eyes

If the person is having sudden blurred or double vision or a sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes without any pain.

3. F - Face Drooping

If the person is experiencing one side of the face drooping or numbing. You can ask the person to smile.

4. A- Arm Weakness

If the person is having one weak or numb. You can ask the person to raise both arms and notice if one arm drifts downward or not. If yes, then it could be the stroke sign.

5. S - Speech Difficulty

If the person is having slurred speech or is unable to speak or understand. You can ask them to repeat a simple sentence like, “The sky is blue.”  Notice if they are unable to repeat correctly. If yes, then it could be the stroke sign.

6. T - Time to call 112 or 108

If the person shows any of the above-mentioned symptoms, call the emergency number even if the symptoms go away. 

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What are the Symptoms of Stroke in Women?

During a stroke, both men and women often experience the following unexpected signs suddenly:

• Numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, particularly on one side of the body
• Confusion
• Trouble speaking and understanding others
• Difficulty in vision in one or both eyes
• Difficulty walking, dizziness
• Loss of balance or coordination
• Unexpected severe headache 

Women may experience additional signs such as hiccups, nausea, chest pain, fatigue, shortness of breath and a racing heartbeat.

Paralysis on One Side of the Body Due to Stroke

Paralysis on one side of the body following a stroke could happen. This is because the stroke damages the brain region that controls movement. One brain side controls the opposite side of the body’s muscles, so injury to one hemisphere interrupts signals to the other side of the body. As a result, the muscles do not receive proper messages to move. This causes weakness or paralysis on that side.

Conclusion

Stroke can cause serious health changes, but that doesn’t mean you should be scared of it. You can minimize the severity of the stroke by being aware of the warning signs. And prevent it from happening by:

• Eating healthy foods
• Maintaining a healthy weight 
• Engaging in regular physical activity
• Managing your blood pressure and bad cholesterol
• Quitting smoking
• Following your doctor's prescription in case of any health condition

FAQs

Q1: Why does facial drooping happen in a stroke?
A: Facial drooping in stroke happens because the brain area that controls facial muscles stops receiving blood supply. This can cause weakness or paralysis on one side of the face.

Q2: What are the stroke golden hours in stroke?
A: The golden hours for stroke treatment refer to the critical 1-hour window after symptoms begin. You need to recognize the symptoms of a stroke, and timely action is required to reduce brain damage.

Q3: What are the signs of stroke in the elderly?
A: Elderly people during a stroke can face signs like sudden weakness, confusion, difficulty speaking or understanding, vision problems, dizziness, and facial drooping.

Q4: How to find the best neurologist in Jaipur? 
A: You can find the best neurologist at Eternal Hospital in Jaipur, renowned for expert stroke and tailored neurological care.

Q5: What are stroke emergency symptoms?
A: The common stroke emergency symptoms include sudden numbness or weakness, facial drooping, difficulty speaking, trouble walking, dizziness, and severe headache.