The old adage that presents prevention as being better than cure is true for almost every health issue possible, and strokes are no exception. When the brain winds up with no oxygen supply, or what is known as a stroke, there are actually some early warning signs that could signal a problem. These warning signs are actually clues that the body sends to show that the brain is not getting sufficient oxygen or nutrients. When the brain fails to receive enough nutrients and oxygen for a certain period of time, it can result in permanent damage.
When you know what warning signs can signal the possible outset of a stroke, you will know to call 911 right away. The following early signs should be considered an emergency, and require you to call for immediate medical attention:
1. A severe headache that comes on suddenly without a known cause – While headaches may be normal parts of daily life, when one comes on extremely suddenly and seems to have no known cause, it may be cause for concern. It is even more important to be wary when the person actually has a history of hypertension, or if the person has suffered a stroke before.
2. Trouble seeing in one or two eyes – This may be in the form of blurred vision, blindness, or double vision. When this occurs, it usually signals that the optic nerve in the brain is affected, possibly with an inflammation, a clot, or a bleeding in that part of the brain.
3. Drowsiness, lightheadedness, or dizziness, vomiting, and sudden confusion – These are also important warning signs, as they signal parts of the brain may be getting insufficient oxygen.
4. Trouble talking or understanding others’ speech – This may signal trouble in the part of the brain that facilitates language.
5. Sudden weakness or a feeling of numbness of the arm, face, leg, or hand, particularly throughout one of the sides of the body – This indicates a problem in the part of the brain that dictates motion.
6. Seizures – These happen in a rare number of cases.
It should be noted that even if these symptoms go away quickly, it is still important to pay attention, since they generally call for medical attention. When symptoms stay for only a few moments before going away, they are generally known as a mini-stroke, or medically called a transient ischemic attack (TIA). Typically, symptoms of stroke last for a minimum of 24 hours, while those of TIA may improve within 30 minutes. This is because both TIA and stroke occur when a part of the brain has an interrupted supply of blood, and therefore oxygen.
There is actually no way to be sure whether a symptom is from a stroke or a TIA. As such, it is important to take all symptoms that seem stroke-like as a signal for an emergency. You should not wait to see if the symptoms will go away. In fact, a quick evaluation, usually within the first sixty minutes, is needed in order to find the cause of the stroke and decide on the right therapy.
Although symptoms may improve, TIA is likely caused by a serious problem, and it will not go away without medical assistance. As such it is important to understand how heeding them as early as possible and getting treatment may actually help save one’s life. Also, people who suffer from a TIA are actually at a greater risk for a stroke. This is also why it is important to recognize a TIA when it happens, as about a third of people who suffer from TIAs are found to suffer from a stroke in about five years. Of course, with treatment, the risk gets significantly reduced.
Treatment to help TIA patients reduce their risk of suffering from a stroke usually comes in the form of drug therapy or surgery, depending on the person’s medical history as well as the physical exam results. A surgical procedure known as carotid endartarectomy helps in the removal of fatty deposits that block one of the two carotid arteries, which are the main source of blood for the brain.
TIAs are medically viewed as a warning sign for a person at risk of a more serious and possibly debilitating stroke. As such, knowing how to heed the warning signs of TIAs as well as treating possible risk factors can actually help in preventing strokes in the future.
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