Stroke

Home » Stroke » Stroke Symptoms

Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Stroke
(Free Handout)

Stroke Symptoms

A stroke, or brain attack, is a medical emergency that requires immediate medical attention. Because most strokes do not cause severe pain, patients often delay seeking treatment, resulting in extensive brain tissue damage.

Symptoms of stroke depend on the type and which area of the brain is effected. Signs of ischemic stroke usually occur suddenly, and signs of hemorrhagic stroke usually develop gradually. Symptoms include the following:

• Difficulty speaking or understanding speech (aphasia)
  
• Difficulty walking
  
• Dizziness or lightheadedness (vertigo)
  
• Numbness, paralysis, or weakness, usually on one side of the body
  
• Seizure (relatively rare)
  
• Severe headache with no known cause
  
• Sudden confusion
  
• Sudden decrease in the level of consciousness
  
• Sudden loss of balance or coordination
  
• Sudden vision problems (e.g., blurry vision, blindness in one eye)
  
• Vomiting
  

In transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), one or more symptoms occur suddenly, last a few minutes, and then subside. These "ministrokes" also require immediate medical attention to reduce the risk for damage to brain tissue and to evaluate the risk for stroke.

Stroke, Stroke Symptoms reprinted with permission from neurologychannel.com
© 1998-2009 Healthcommunities.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Stroke Resources

	Questions to Ask Your Cardiac Care Team The more knowledge you have, the easier it is to make decisions about your heart condition. Print this free handout to take with you on your next office visit.	Advertising Disclaimer
	Join Our Stroke Forum Do you have a question, want to share medical advice, or just need to discuss your situation with someone else having a similar experience? The healthchannels forum is a resource for everyone to share and discuss their health and medical needs with others.
	Living with...Share your story Do you have a personal health story that you would like to share with others? As a source of free patient education, our goal is to provide our users with trustworthy information and support from others. That's why we've started our "Living with..." sections.
	Our "Living With..." support pages are a place to share experiences about living with a certain condition, disease, disorder, or illness and for loved ones of those dealing with health-related issues. Many people, especially when newly diagnosed, find comfort in knowing that others are having a similar experience. Help others by sharing your story. View stories already submitted.
	Stay Updated Sign up for our newsletter and receive important updates on the medical conditions that are most important to you.
To quickly access health information from your website's browser, download Healthcommunities.com's healthchannels toolbar. Advertising Disclaimer