Intervening very promptly is the only way to prevent devastating or disabling effects, so it is very important to know how to recognize the warning signs.
Whether it is ischemic stroke, due to the closure of a cerebral artery, or hemorrhagic stroke, due to the rupture of a cerebral artery, the consequences can be very serious.
For this reason, knowing how to recognize it in time can be fundamental: the sooner you call for help, in fact, the greater the chances of being able to intervene.
Warning signs
The manifestations of the ischemic event can be very variable and depend on the area of the brain affected and its extension.
The most frequent warning signs are:
- loss of strength on only one side of the body, with weakness or inability to move the hand, arm and leg and difficulty swallowing;
- loss of tactile sensitivity on only one side of the body;
- sudden inability to express oneself or to understand what others say;
- agitation, inability to realize one’s status or to recognize family or friends;
- sudden darkening of half of the field of vision (which is black or very opaque) or appearance of a dark area in the center of the field of vision;
Balance disorders, dizziness, nausea and drowsiness are also often present.
In the presence of any of these signals, the best thing is to call 118 and / or go to the nearest hospital, preferably equipped with a Stroke Unit (departments able to diagnose and treat strokes in the most effective way).
Calling the medical guard, contacting the family doctor, lying down waiting for the symptoms to disappear would only waste precious time.
More or less serious: never underestimate
In case of hemorrhagic stroke it is possible that those affected report having the worst headache ever experienced, usually localized to the nape.
And if the affected brain area is large, the subject quickly goes into a coma and no longer responds to any stimulus.
If the warning signs described above disappear within 24 hours, it is called a transient ischemic attack (TIA). It is a minor stroke, due to a transient occlusion.
That doesn’t mean you can take it lightly. It is a very important warning sign: those who have had one or more TIAs are 10 times more likely to suffer a complete stroke than their peers.
Not only that: in the first 32 hours after the event the probability of a real stroke is very high.
Therefore, stroke (hemorrhagic or ischaemic stroke) and TIA should all always be considered an emergency. So it is essential not to waste time.
Better to make a run to the hospital for nothing than to arrive late: the probability of success of therapies is very high if they are started within six hours of the onset of symptoms.
More frequent in the elderly, but does not spare the young In general, stroke affects people in old age, but it is not entirely excluded that it can also affect young people and, in very rare cases, children.
About 5.5% of all strokes in Western countries occur before the age of 45.
The permanent damage and disability that can result, at any age, dramatically affect the quality of life of both those affected and those close to them.
Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.
The blog covers a wide range of topics related to health and wellness, with articles organized into several categories.