When blood flow to the brain is blocked or a blood artery breaks, it can destroy brain cells and cause a stroke. A stroke could kill you or leave you permanently incapacitated if you don’t get help straight away.
The good news is that your body usually gives you signs before a stroke happens. Being able to see these early signals 15 minutes before a stroke can be the key to seeking help in time and avoiding serious damage.
In this piece, we’ll speak about four clear signs that a stroke is likely to happen and what you can do immediately now to help yourself or someone you care about.
1. Sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the body
Sudden weakness, numbness, or tingling on one side of the body is one of the early signs of a stroke.
A stroke usually affects one side of the brain and the other side of the body.
Things to Watch Out For
Weakness or paralysis in the arm, leg, or face usually affects one side of the body.
Your hand or leg feels like it’s “falling asleep.”
It’s hard to lift your arm or move your leg.
What to do
A stroke could be happening if one of your arms starts to drop.
If you suddenly feel weak, sit down and ask for help immediately away.
2. Slurred speech or difficulties speaking
Another important indicator of a stroke is having problems talking or understanding words. Because of the stroke, the brain has trouble understanding language. This might lead to slurred speech, confusion, or trouble putting sentences together.
What to Look For
Speech may be slow or slurred, and words may sound jumbled.
Not being able to figure out what other people are saying.
Finding the right words or putting together full phrases is hard.
What You Should Do
Tell the person to repeat a simple sentence, like “The sky is blue.”
If they can’t say it right, call emergency services straight away.
3. Sudden vision problems or foggy vision
A stroke can affect the optic nerve or the brain’s visual centers, which can make vision problems happen all of a sudden.
Before a stroke, a lot of people suffer blurry vision, double vision, or even go blind for a short time.
Things to Watch Out For: Losing eyesight suddenly in one or both eyes.
You might see things that are hazy or double.
You are having trouble seeing or focusing.
What should you do?
Cover one eye at a time to test if your vision is only bad in one eye.
If your vision suddenly grows worse, you should see a doctor straight once.
4. Very dizzy or having problems holding your balance
A stroke can make it harder for the brain to govern movement and coordination, which can make you feel dizzy, off balance, and have trouble walking.
Things to Watch Out For
You can feel dizzy or lightheaded for no clear cause.
Having problems walking or suddenly falling.
You’re having trouble keeping your balance or suddenly losing it.
What to do
Try to stand on one leg or walk in a straight line.
If you think you’re going to fall, sit down and call for help.
The FAST test: A simple way to find out if someone has had a stroke
The FAST test is an easy way to remember the most common indications of a stroke:
F—Face Drooping: Tell the person to smile. Does one side droop?
A—Weakness in the arms: Have them raise both arms. Does one go down?
S – Speech Trouble: Can you ask them to say a simple sentence again? Is it slurred?
T—Time to Call Emergency: If you encounter any of these signs, you need to call emergency services right away!
Time is very important; the sooner a stroke victim gets care, the better their chances of getting better.
Who Is Most Likely to Have a Stroke?
There are some things that make you more prone to suffer a stroke. You should be extremely careful if you have any of the following:
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is the most common reason for strokes.
Diabetes can harm blood vessels and make strokes more likely.
Smoking makes blood vessels smaller, which doubles the risk of stroke.
Heart disease: Atrial fibrillation and high cholesterol levels raise the risk of stroke.
Obesity and a bad diet can make your cholesterol and blood pressure go up.
Too much alcohol can elevate blood pressure and the chance of having a stroke.
If you or someone you care about has more than one risk factor, it’s vital to search for early signs and get checked out often.
Here’s what to do if you see indicators of a stroke: If you notice any indicators of a stroke, act right away:
Call emergency services right away; don’t wait for the symptoms to get better.
Don’t move around too much; this will help your brain stay healthy.
If you want more blood to go to your brain, lie down with your head slightly raised.
Until aid comes, don’t eat, drink, or take any medicine.
Time is important. Getting help within the first hour could save your life and keep you from being disabled for a long time.
How to Lower Your Risk of Having a Stroke
You can stop strokes by modifying your lifestyle to be healthier. To keep your brain and blood arteries healthy, do the following:
Your blood pressure should be below 120/80 mmHg to stay healthy.
Eat a healthy diet that includes a lot of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats.
Even if it’s only for 30 minutes, make sure you get some exercise every day.
If you want to minimize your chance of getting a stroke by a lot, stop smoking and drink less alcohol.
Keep your diabetes and cholesterol levels in check. This means that you need to keep an eye on your cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Drinking enough water will help your blood flow normally.
In conclusion, knowing the signs of a stroke can save lives!
A stroke can happen without warning, but the body usually gives you 15 minutes’ notice before it happens.
You can act quickly to avoid major brain damage or death if you recognize these four critical warning signs.
Remember these signs of a stroke:
One side of the body suddenly loses feeling or power.
Speech that is hard to comprehend or that sounds slurred.
Seeing things hazy or turning blind all of a sudden.
You might feel dizzy and lose your balance.
If you or someone you know exhibits these symptoms, call emergency services straight once. Acting immediately can save a life because time is of the essence.