What Are the Major Warning Signs of a Stroke?

A stroke is one of the leading causes of death in the country. A stroke can be fatal if not treated immediately. Strokes can lead to disabilities, and affect the quality of life of a person considerably. Recognizing the symptoms and responding to the immediate needs is what is important in the treatment of stroke. A stroke results from reduced blood supply to the brain cells. Damage caused by this may be permanent or temporary. Understanding the symptoms and getting medical attention when you see them is very critical in the treatment of stroke.

As per The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, there are five major signs of stroke:

• Sudden weakness on one side of the body, including the face, arms, or legs – voluntary movement of the affected part may be complete or just partial. Some people report to have a tingling sensation in the affected area of the body.
• Difficulty in speaking and understanding – they may be confused, and in some cases, drooling may start because of the weak muscles of the face.
• Trouble in vision, either in one or both eyes – people affected with stroke may have blurred or blackened vision in one eye or both the eyes. Some report to have double vision.
• Difficulty in walking, loss of balance and coordination, and dizziness – the affected person may suddenly feel a loss of balance and stumble while walking.
• Sudden and severe headaches – severe headache followed by vomiting and dizziness without any apparent reason is also a symptom of stroke.

If somebody has any of these symptoms, it is very important to call for medical help immediately and not to wait for the symptoms to subside. As the duration of medical help increases, the potential of brain damage and disability also increases considerably.