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.
Conditions That Look Like a Stroke. A stroke can give you a variety of symptoms, but a bunch of other health problems can cause some of the same ones, too. Conditions from migraine to multiple sclerosis can make you feel confused, dizzy, weak in the arms, or have trouble seeing, speaking, or moving.
Call 9-1-1 immediately if any of these signs of stroke appear: Numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg; Confusion or trouble speaking or understanding speech; Trouble seeing in one or both eyes; Trouble walking, dizziness, or problems with balance; severe headache with no known cause.
A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a temporary period of symptoms similar to those of a stroke. A TIA usually lasts only a few minutes and doesn't cause permanent damage. Often called a ministroke, a TIA may be a warning.
A brain CT scan can show if there is bleeding in the brain or damage to the brain cells from a stroke. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses magnets and radio waves to create pictures of your brain. An MRI may be used instead of—or in addition to—a CT scan to diagnose a stroke.
But the symptoms of anxiety are very real, and many of them resemble a stroke-like experience, for example: Difficulty thinking or formulating thoughts. Feeling like limbs or muscles cannot move. Blurry vision or dizziness.
Nerve tingling can be the sign of a stroke, but it also may be the sign of a condition called neuropathy, a condition involving damage or dysfunction of the nerves. While stroke and neuropathy share some symptoms, it is important to know that a stroke is a medical emergency while neuropathy is not.
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.
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.
Can dehydration cause a stroke? Dehydration causes your blood to thicken, making flow to the brain difficult. When your blood tries to get through blocked blood vessels, a stroke can occur. Studies show that those who are well hydrated when they suffer a stroke have a greater chance of a better outcome.
“Under the age of 50, most stroke mimics are migraines, epilepsy, seizures, multiple sclerosis or high blood pressure that causes swelling in the brain,” he said. “Over the age of 50, most patients experiencing a stroke mimic are the result of epilepsy, metabolic derangement or a mass lesion in the brain.”
Psychogenic pseudostroke (PS) is when symptoms are suggestive of a stroke, but in reality, of psychogenic origin. Most neurologists have encountered a case of such nature. However, specific information regarding its prevalence and management is scarce.
Heart disease, stroke and stress
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.
A transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or "mini stroke" is caused by a temporary disruption in the blood supply to part of the brain. The disruption in blood supply results in a lack of oxygen to the brain.
Gliomas, meningiomas and hypophyseal adenomas are among the commonest primary tumors that may mimic a stroke. Metastatic lesions of the brain may have a similar presentation. Primary tumours which most frequently metastasize in the brain include lungs, breast, alimentary canal, kidneys and skin melanomas1.
A person experiencing a TIA might feel sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the body, have slurred speech, have trouble seeing or talking, and feel confused. The person may experience a combination of these symptoms at the same time. “The real takeaway?
An MRI can sometimes show the site of the TIA, especially if it's done soon after it happens. But this is not the main way that a TIA is diagnosed.
Although they don't cause permanent damage, if left untreated, a transient ischemic attack (TIA) can serve as an early warning sign of a future stroke, with an estimated one-third of individuals who experience TIA later experiencing a stroke.
Stroke mimics are common in patients with suspected stroke. 3-7 Conditions that mimic stroke include metabolic disorders such as hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, hypernatremia, hyponatremia, uremia, metabolic encephalopathy, and hyperthyroidism.
Extremely high blood pressure can damage blood vessels and weaken arteries in the brain, increasing the risk of stroke. Blood pressure readings above 180/120 mmHg are considered stroke-level, dangerously high, and require immediate medical attention.