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.
Unfortunately, most people don't actually find out they've suffered from a silent stroke until they see a doctor for another condition and are ordered to have an MRI or a CT scan. At that point, their doctor may notice small areas of damage in the brain indicating a silent stroke.
“But anyone, even people who are relatively young and healthy, could potentially have a stroke.” While you can't do much about risk factors related to your age, gender or family history, there are four important things you can do to lower your risk of stroke — and improve your overall health: Stop smoking.
High blood pressure is the leading cause of stroke and is the main cause for increased risk of stroke among people with diabetes.
Lifetime incidence and outcome following stroke
The risk increases with age, the incidence doubling with each decade after the age of 45 years and over 70% of all strokes occur above the age of 65.
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.
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.
It's known that stress from work is bad for your health, including causing an increase in your risk for cardiovascular disease, particularly high blood pressure and heart disease. If you've wondered specifically if stress can cause a stroke, too, the answer is unfortunately, yes.
Unlike a CT scan, which takes several hours to reveal any blockages of blood flow, an MRI can uncover any brain damage within an hour of the onset of the stroke symptoms.
In addition to the classic stroke symptoms associated with the FAST acronym, around 7-65% of people undergoing a stroke will experience some form of a headache. People describe a stroke-related headache as a very severe headache that comes on within seconds or minutes.
If you're 55 and older, if you're African-American, if you're a man, or if you have a family history of strokes or heart attacks, your chances of having a stroke are higher. Being overweight, physically inactive, drinking alcohol heavily, recreational drug use.
Weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg, usually on one side of the body. Trouble speaking or understanding. Problems with vision, such as dimness or loss of vision in one or both eyes. Dizziness or problems with balance or coordination.
How Does a Stroke Impact Life Expectancy? Despite the likelihood of making a full recovery, life expectancy after stroke incidents can decrease. Unfortunately, researchers have observed a wide range of life expectancy changes in stroke patients, but the average reduction in lifespan is nine and a half years.
Panic attacks are often confused with heart attacks or strokes. They share many of the same symptoms: Racing heart. Chest pains or tightness.
One of the most common stroke mimics is a seizure, which researchers believe account for as many as 20% of all stroke mimics. Other common stroke mimics include migraines, syncope, sepsis, brain tumor and metabolic derangement (low sodium or low blood sugar).
A stroke happens when blood flow to your brain is stopped. It is an emergency situation. It can be caused by a narrowed blood vessel, bleeding, or a clot that blocks blood flow.
Even after surviving a stroke, you're not out of the woods, since having one makes it a lot more likely that you'll have another. In fact, of the 795,000 Americans who will have a first stroke this year, 23 percent will suffer a second stroke. What can stroke patients do to avoid a recurrence?
5 How- ever, earlier studies have shown that MRI may not detect acute strokes in 10-20% of patients. 4-6 Few clinical details of the false-negative cases were provided. Although several aspects of MRI techniques, computer software, and scan interpretations have been improved, false-negative MRI results may still occur.
Pre-strokes or mini strokes are the common terms used to describe a transient ischemic attack (TIA). Unlike a full blown stroke, a TIA only lasts a few minutes and does not cause permanent damage. Nevertheless it is a warning sign that a possible stroke may be coming in the future.
Preventing Stroke
The best ways to prevent stroke are to do the following: Keep your blood pressure controlled through lifestyle changes and/or medications. Don't smoke or stop smoking. Take steps to manage your cholesterol.
Foods high in potassium, such as sweet and white potatoes, bananas, tomatoes, prunes, melon and soybeans, can help you maintain a healthy blood pressure — the leading risk factor of stroke. Magnesium-rich foods, such as spinach, are also linked to a lower risk of stroke.