What You Need to Know

A stroke or “brain attack” occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery (a blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the body) or a blood vessel (a tube through which the blood moves through the body) breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain. When either of these things happens, brain cells begin to die, and brain damage occurs.

When brain cells die during a stroke, abilities controlled by that area of the brain are lost. These abilities include speech, movement and memory. How a stroke patient is affected depends on where the stroke occurs in the brain and how much the brain is damaged.

• Signs and Symptoms

  The symptoms of a stroke can vary depending on the extent of damage to the brain and which part of the brain is affected.

  F.A.S.T. is an easy way to remember the sudden signs of a stroke. When you can spot the signs, you’ll know that you need to call 9-1-1 for help right away. F.A.S.T. is:

  • F – Face Drooping – Does one side of the face droop, or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person’s smile uneven?
  • A – Arm Weakness – Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
  • S – Speech Difficulty – Is speech slurred? Is the person unable to speak or hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like “The sky is blue.” Is the sentence repeated correctly?
  • T– Time to call 9-1-1 – If someone shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get the person to the hospital immediately. Check the time, so you’ll know when the first symptoms appeared.

  Other signs and symptoms of a stroke include:

  • Severe headache
  • Sudden numbness or weakness of the leg, arm or face
  • Slurring or loss of speech
  • Fainting
  • Rapid heartbeat or hypertension
  • Loss of balance
  • Paralysis on one side
  • Seizures
  • Nausea
  • Sudden confusion or trouble with comprehension
  • Sudden vision problems in one or both eyes
  • Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Causes

  Causes of a stroke may include:

  • Old age
  • High blood pressure (hypertension)
  • Previous stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA)
  • Diabetes mellitus
  • High cholesterol
  • Cigarette smoking
  • Atrial fibrillation
  • Migraine with aura
  • Thrombophilia

  Sometimes a stroke is caused by a medical provider’s negligence. A physician can cause a patient’s stroke in several ways, including misdiagnosis, surgical errors or dangerous pharmaceuticals. Negligence may also have taken place if a hospital is understaffed, or if the physician is under-trained or un-certified. Plastic surgeries such as a rhinoplasty have also resulted in stroke for some patients.

• Ramifications

  Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability among adults in the United States. If a stroke is not treated immediately, it can cause permanent neurological damage and even death.