On World Stroke Day, we’re sharing the warning signs of a stroke.

The term stroke, a word derived from Middle English that means “a blow”, is actually much more than that. A stroke (also known as a embolism or thrombosis) is a cerebrovascular event that occurs when there is a sudden interruption of blood flow to a part of the brain or a rupture of an artery or vein in the brain.

The first is cerebral ischaemia and accounts for 85% of stroke cases, while a ruptured artery or vein is a cerebral haemorrhage and occurs in the remaining 15% of cases. The part of the brain affected may be temporarily or permanently damaged, with serious consequences, including the inability to speak or move.

Stroke is the second most common cause of death in the world.

For World Stroke Day (29 October) we’re here to explain the symptoms of stroke so that you can recognise the warning signs as soon as possible and seek urgent medical care.

6 possible signs of a stroke
If you are experiencing any of these signs, you could be having a stroke.

Difficulty speaking: from trouble speaking and constructing logical sentences to not being able to understand what other people are saying and even not being able to speak at all.

Drooping mouth: this is one of the easiest symptoms to identify, since a drooping face makes it impossible to smile or move the mouth naturally.

Weakness: a stroke can lead to numbness in the arms and legs and clumsy movements.

Lack of feeling on one side of the body: a sudden loss of strength and the inability to react to external stimuli.

Memory loss: it is often seen with sudden confusion and disorientation. This makes the stroke victim lose the sense of time and space and they often don’t know where they are or what day it is.

Vision problems: A stroke can sometimes cause pain that makes it difficult to see out of one or both eyes.

Sources:
29 October: World Stroke Day SEMES (Spanish Society of Emergency Medicine). October 2021

Los 8 síntomas que te alertarán de que estás sufriendo un ictus. La Vanguardia. November 2022.

Tengo un ictus. Fundació Ictus.

This post is also available in: Portuguese (Portugal)