What Is a Stroke? Early Stroke Signs to Look Out For
This article was reviewed by Mighty Health physician, Eric Tam, MD. Dr. Eric Tam is a board certified family physician. Having received his training at UCSF’s Family and Community medicine program, he recognizes the importance of understanding the world his patients come from. As a result, he approaches every patient with humility and deep empathy.
Each year, nearly 800,000 people in the United States experience a stroke. While people of any age can suffer a stroke, they are most common among older adults. Having a stroke is a major cause of death and disability. However, prompt medical treatment can result in better outcomes. This makes it critical to recognize the warning signs of a stroke and to act fast to get help.
What Is a Stroke?
A stroke is also known as a cerebrovascular accident. Strokes occur when there is an interruption to blood flow to part of the brain. Cutting off the blood supply to part of the brain causes it to malfunction. Your brain is very metabolically active, meaning it needs lots of oxygen to keep working. Blood supplies that oxygen, so when the blood supply is cut off, cells begin to die. This cell death does not occur immediately, but the longer a brain region goes without oxygen, the more brain cells are affected.
What Are the Different Kinds of Strokes?
There are two major types of strokes: ischemic and hemorrhagic. Both cause blood to stop flowing to critical parts of the brain, but the exact causes are different.
Ischemic Stroke
An ischemic stroke happens when a blood vessel becomes blocked, preventing blood from flowing to part of the brain. Ischemic strokes are the most common kind of stroke. They usually occur when a blood clot forms in another part of the body, becomes dislodged, and gets stuck in a blood vessel in the brain. Blockage or narrowing of the carotid arteries, which run along the sides of your neck, cause approximately 1 in 3 strokes. Carotid artery disease can be treated with medical procedures to clear the artery of plaques.
Hemorrhagic Stroke
A hemorrhagic stroke happens when a blood vessel ruptures and causes bleeding within the brain. This is less common than an ischemic stroke. Hemorrhagic strokes typically occur when a blood vessel in the brain becomes weakened. Sometimes this is related to an arteriovenous malformation, when a tangle of blood vessels forms in a certain brain region. Another possibility is a cerebral aneurysm, where a blood vessel becomes weak and creates a small “balloon” area. Because this area is weaker, it can rupture more easily and cause a brain bleed.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of a Stroke?
Because of the way brain networks are organized, strokes typically cause problems that affect one side of the body more than the other. However, this is not always true. Some of the most common signs and symptoms of a stroke are:
Facial drooping, in which one side of the face loses muscle tone. Asking someone to smile is a good test of facial droop, as only one side of the mouth will draw upward.
Arm weakness or numbness on one side of the body.
Difficulty walking, dizziness, or feeling off balance
Confusion or seeming disoriented to time (knowing when it is) or place (knowing where you are)
Language difficulties. Language problems can manifest as difficulty understanding what others are saying, trouble speaking, or both.
Vision problems. Blurred vision, double vision, or loss of vision in one or both eyes can be signs of a stroke.
Sudden and severe headache. Hemorrhagic strokes, which occur when a blood vessel ruptures, often result in a severe headache. If you experience the sudden onset of the worst headache of your life, it is important to get medical attention immediately.
The acronym FAST can help you remember the most common and concerning signs of stroke: Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call for emergency services for help.
What Are the Warning Signs Before Having a Stroke?
Often, strokes occur without warning. Having a prior stroke places you at higher risk for another stroke, but no one can predict exactly who will develop a stroke. One factor that significantly increases risk for a stroke is having a transient ischemic attack, or TIA. A TIA is sometimes called a “mini stroke.” About 1 in 3 people who have a TIA will go on to have a stroke, and half of those will occur within 6 months of the TIA.
TIAs typically only last a couple of minutes, and they do not result in lasting damage to brain tissue. The signs and symptoms of a TIA overlap with those of a stroke. However, the severity and duration of the symptoms are typically lower. A TIA might result in numbness or weakness on one side of the body, difficulty speaking, vision changes, dizziness, loss of balance, or confusion. Even if your symptoms resolve and you think they were due to a TIA, it is important to seek prompt medical attention. Your medical providers can make sure there are no major underlying causes of the TIA and recommend steps to lower your risk of a full-blown stroke.
Can You Recover From a Stroke?
Many people go on to make a full recovery from a stroke, though some have remaining disabilities for the rest of their lives. The details depend on how much brain tissue is affected, the type of stroke, and how quickly a person gets medical attention. Stroke recovery does take time. People often make the biggest gains within the first couple months, though they may continue to gradually recover over the first year or so post-stroke. After that, learning new strategies to compensate for remaining weaknesses can help to improve quality of life.
One of the most important factors in stroke recovery is getting prompt medical attention. Depending on the type of stroke and how fast a person gets to the emergency room, medical providers may be able to administer medications to quickly dissolve the clot that is causing an ischemic stroke. This can significantly reduce disability and mortality related to stroke.
Stroke Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation is another important part of recovery from a stroke. This might include physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, or cognitive rehabilitation. Getting a tailored treatment plan from your medical providers can ensure you get the types of rehabilitation services that will be most beneficial.
What Can You Do to Prevent a Stroke?
The best ways to prevent a stroke are to manage health conditions that increase your risks of stroke. These include:
High blood pressure. Elevated blood pressure is one of the biggest risk factors for strokes. Keeping blood pressure in a healthy range, whether through lifestyle changes or medication, is important for stroke risk management.
Diabetes. Diabetes is another major stroke risk factor. If you do have a diabetes diagnosis, it is important to monitor your blood sugar regularly to make sure it stays in a healthy range.
Smoking. Tobacco smoke contains a variety of chemicals that affect your blood vessels. Over time, smoking damages blood vessels. People who smoke cigarettes should work with their medical providers to try to quit as soon as possible.
Heart conditions. A variety of heart conditions increase risk for stroke. For example, atrial fibrillation (“fluttering” heart rhythm) can increase stroke risk. So can heart valve disorders and other conditions that make it more likely for clots to form in your body.
High cholesterol. High cholesterol leads to build-up of plaques in blood vessels. These sticky plaques prevent blood from flowing effectively and can increase risk of blood vessel blockage. Lowering cholesterol to a healthy range helps to prevent blood clots.
While medications are important for managing many of the above conditions, lifestyle changes are also an important component of stroke prevention. Eating a heart-healthy diet, exercising regularly, and lowering stress levels can help to reduce your risk of stroke. Mighty Health is here to help you make long-lasting lifestyle changes to prevent a stroke or aid in your recovery process.
What to Do If You Think You or a Loved One Is Having a Stroke
Remember, the most important thing to do if you think you or a loved one is having a stroke is to act fast! A stroke is a medical emergency, and every minute counts. Because a stroke occurs rapidly, go to the hospital immediately or call for emergency services to get the most prompt medical attention. Waiting to see how symptoms develop or planning to go to the doctor the next morning can cause serious negative outcomes. Even if your stroke symptoms are mild or go away within minutes, a medical evaluation can help to rule out a major problem. Prompt stroke treatment ensures the best possible outcomes and can prevent future strokes.
More with Mighty
Awareness of the signs and symptoms of a stroke is important, as is stroke prevention. Our supportive Mighty Health community is a great way to get started with stroke prevention, no matter what your physical activity level or medical background. Your personalized health coach can help you make lifestyle changes that improve cardiovascular health and risk for stroke.