When Every Second Counts: How to Spot a Stroke in Its Early Stages 0 10

A stroke is an acute disruption of blood supply to the brain, characterized by the sudden (within minutes or hours) onset of focal and/or generalized neurological symptoms that persist for more than 24 hours or lead to the patient's death in a shorter time due to cerebrovascular pathology.

According to research, strokes are becoming more common among younger individuals. Prompt medical attention can help prevent severe consequences of this disease. Below, we outline the symptoms that can help identify a stroke at its earliest stages. Be attentive to yourself and your loved ones.

1. Feeling of weakness or numbness on one side of the body

If suddenly you lose strength in an arm or leg, or if you no longer feel any part of one side of your body – this is a sure sign of a stroke. Numbness that feels like "pins and needles" should pass within a couple of minutes; otherwise, it is a warning signal.

You may ask, why only one side of the body? Each hemisphere of our brain controls the opposite side of the body, so if a hemorrhage occurs in the right hemisphere, the symptoms will manifest on the left side. Try raising both arms, and if one of them lags in movement or does not rise at all – it's time to call an ambulance.

2. Facial muscles do not respond

If the corner of your mouth or eye droops on one side of your face, or if you cannot smile or control your facial expressions at all, again, call an ambulance as soon as possible.

3. Difficulty reading or understanding speech

The left hemisphere is responsible for speech, so a stroke in this area may lead to aphasia (loss of the ability to understand or produce words). This is one of the most telling signs of a stroke – the inability to process words, which may manifest as slurred speech, misunderstanding of a posed question, or the inability to read or write a sentence.

The feeling of being unable to pronounce "words stuck on the tip of your tongue" is a vivid symptom of a stroke.

4. Slurred speech

This symptom is related to the inability to control the muscles necessary for producing sounds. In this case, letters or syllables may drop out of words, and speech may slow down, making it difficult to understand what is being said.

5. Intense headache

Of course, this does not refer to an ordinary headache. But if you can identify it as "the worst headache of your life" or if it appeared suddenly and is rapidly intensifying – call an ambulance.

6. You see distorted

Like the loss of sensation in an arm or leg, vision problems are usually one-sided. This can manifest as double vision, blurriness, or blindness.

Most likely, vision will not be lost in one eye, but rather one field of vision will disappear from both sides (for example, both eyes do not see what is happening on the left). This occurs because the optic nerve and the eyeball itself are unaffected, while the damage is located in the center that analyzes the received image, where fibers from both eyes converge.

7. Coordination issues

A stroke can cause coordination problems and dizziness, making movement difficult. If you also experience weakness or loss of sensation in your limbs, it will be difficult or nearly impossible to stand upright.