Yes, you can have a stroke and not know it. A stroke's effects can be undetectable if the stroke is small or if the tissue damaged does not serve a critical function. Evidence of the stroke would show on a CT scan or an MRI of the brain, but it might not produce symptoms.
Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body. Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or difficulty understanding speech. Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes. Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or lack of coordination.
Warning signs of an ischemic stroke may be evident as early as seven days before an attack and require urgent treatment to prevent serious damage to the brain, according to a study of stroke patients published in the March 8, 2005 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
An MRI can also detect old strokes for decades after they happen. The fastest type of MRI is diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). It measures shifts in fluid in the brain and can detect a stroke soon after its onset. An MRI can also detect evidence of past strokes.
Some people will experience symptoms such as headache, numbness or tingling several days before they have a serious stroke. One study found that 43% of stroke patients experienced mini-stroke symptoms up to a week before they had a major stroke.
being sick. dizziness. confusion. difficulty understanding what others are saying.
Some of the most common stroke mimics are seizures, migraine, fainting, serious infections and functional neurological disorder (FND). Once the person is diagnosed, they can have treatment or support to manage their symptoms.
“If you have an inability to speak words, notice food or liquid falling out of your mouth due to facial droop, you could be having a stroke. If you experience numbness in your face or extremities, can't move an arm or leg or have a sudden onset of double vision or dizziness — those are other possible stroke symptoms.”
What is Pre-Stroke? Sometimes, there is a smaller, temporary clot that is quickly resolved, though the symptoms will be similar thanks to the effect such clots have on the brain. This is known as a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) or “Pre-Stroke,” and often points to a more life-threatening attack on its way.
These brief episodes are transient ischemic attacks (TIA), sometimes called “mini-strokes.” They still should be taken seriously, because they tend to be signs of underlying serious conditions that can lead to a full stroke, even possibly in the few days following a TIA event if not evaluated and treated for a TIA.
A stroke is a disease that affects the arteries leading to and within the brain. Strokes occur when blood flow to a part of the brain is cut off or drastically reduced, causing brain cells to die. If a stroke isn't caught early, it can cause permanent brain damage or death.
Drink a lot of water: You should drink at least five glasses of water per day, and this will reduce your risk of stroke by 53%, according to a recent study by Loma Linda University.
The major risk factors for stroke include: High blood pressure. Diabetes. Heart and blood vessel diseases: Conditions that can cause blood clots or other blockages include coronary heart disease, atrial fibrillation, heart valve disease, and carotid artery disease.
Stress can cause the heart to work harder, increase blood pressure, and increase sugar and fat levels in the blood. These things, in turn, can increase the risk of clots forming and travelling to the heart or brain, causing a heart attack or stroke.
Many strokes could be prevented through healthy lifestyle changes and working with your health care team to control health conditions that raise your risk for stroke. You can help prevent stroke by making healthy lifestyle choices. Find tips and resources to help you make healthy choices that are right for you.
The easiest way to differentiate between the two is to pay attention to sensations. A migraine headache produces sensations like auras, flashing lights, or tingling skin, while a stroke-related headache causes sensations to be lost, such as a loss of vision or feeling.
Strokes that start in the carotid artery (a major artery in the neck that brings blood to the brain) can cause a headache in the forehead. 5. Strokes in the vertebrobasilar system (which supplies blood to the back of the brain) may cause a headache at the back of the head.
Background and Purpose— Although stroke is strongly associated with hypertension, some individuals with normal blood pressure (BP) experience a stroke.
Usually, a silent stroke is discovered unexpectedly on a brain CT or brain MRI. These imaging tests can easily distinguish past strokes from recent strokes.
MRIs are also more accurate than CT scans since they are far more sensitive. They show all issues related to a stroke and any other diseases or concerning factors within the brain. MRIs are excellent at detecting even tiny abnormalities, which are often too small to be clearly seen in a CT scan.