A stroke, sometimes called a brain attack, occurs when something blocks blood supply to part of the brain or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. In either case, parts of the brain become damaged or die. A stroke can cause lasting brain damage, long-term disability, or even death.
Some of the most common effects of stroke are physical. You may experience muscle weakness, paralysis, stiffness or changes in sensation, usually on one side of your body. These effects can make it harder to move some parts of your body, and you may struggle with everyday activities.
Approximately one third of stroke victims will develop memory problems. Losing skills in this area may affect ability to conduct activities of daily living and thus the ability to live independently.
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.
Common characteristics are that the pain is constant (although there is also often an intermittent stabbing component), and is more likely to occur if the stroke occurred in the right side of the brain. The pain usually gets worse over time and can sometimes be aggravated by temperature changes or movement.
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.
Weakness, paralysis, and problems with balance or coordination. Pain, numbness, or burning and tingling sensations. Fatigue, which may continue after you return home. Inattention to one side of the body, also known as neglect; in extreme cases, you may not be aware of your arm or leg.
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.
The short answer is yes; the brain can heal after acute trauma from a stroke or brain injury, although the degree of recovery will vary. The reason the brain can recover at all is through neuroplasticity, sometimes referred to as brain plasticity.
The most severe strokes can leave a person unable to respond, or in a sleep-like state. This is sometimes called unconsciousness or coma, and it means that important parts of the brain are not working well. Coma is a worrying sign, as it may mean that the stroke is severe enough that the person may not survive.
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.
Examples in stroke survivors include rapid eye jiggling (nystagmus), eye turning (strabismus), eye tracking control issues (oculomotor dysfunction) and double vision (diplopia). Your depth perception, balance, coordination and overall vision may be affected by these.
Most stroke patients are unaware of the warning signs of stroke and present late because they misjudge the seriousness of their symptoms. Even when patients know that they are having a stroke, most do not seek immediate medical attention.
As you begin to recover, you might feel that your behaviour changes or improves. You may start feeling better physically and emotionally. But some changes will be long term. You are still the same person, but a stroke may change the way you respond to things.
Strokes are to your brain what a heart attack is to your heart. When you have a stroke, part of your brain loses its blood supply, which keeps that brain area from getting oxygen. Without oxygen, the affected brain cells become oxygen-starved and stop working properly.
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.
A massive stroke commonly refers to strokes (any type) that result in death, long-term paralysis, or coma. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists three main types of stroke: Ischemic stroke, caused by blood clots. Hemorrhagic stroke, caused by ruptured blood vessels that cause brain bleeding.
Stroke impacts the brain, and the brain controls our behavior and emotions. You or your loved one may experience feelings of irritability, forgetfulness, carelessness or confusion. Feelings of anger, anxiety or depression are also common.
Generally, minor stroke symptoms won't rouse you from sleep. But when people do wake up after a stroke, they notice something is amiss. The symptoms depend on both the severity of the stroke and the region of the brain it damaged.
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.
Changes in your emotions and to your personality are common after stroke. It's very normal to experience strong emotions after stroke, however these emotional reactions usually get better with time. Longer-term emotional and personality changes can be very challenging.
Uncontrolled crying after stroke is a disturbance of the motor concomitants of emotional affect. It manifests as stereotyped outbursts of crying that are excessive to an appropriate emotional response.
Stroke seems to run in some families. Several factors may contribute to familial stroke. Members of a family might have a genetic tendency for stroke risk factors, such as an inherited predisposition for high blood pressure (hypertension) or diabetes.