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Home News Stroke Month: Stroke Symptom Recognition

Stroke Month: Stroke Symptom Recognition

Published: Tuesday, May 15, 2007

May is National Stroke Awareness Month and a chance for you to learn how to recognize if you or someone around you is having a stroke. A stroke occurs every 45 seconds, affecting approximately 700,000 Americans each year, according to the American Stroke Association. Stroke remains the third leading cause of death in this country. 

With such a high occurrence, it is important to recognize the symptoms of stroke in order to obtain treatment early on—when it is most important. The most crucial key to recovery is immediate medical attention. Whether it is you or someone around you that experiences these symptoms, it is critical that someone calls 911 right away. 

Many people associate pain with a stroke. However, that is not common. “Most people have weakness, trouble with speech or walking or coordination problems,” says Fred G. Wenger, DO, medical director of the Emergency Department at The University of Tennessee Medical Center. “A lot of it will depend on where the stroke is located.” Warning signs are indications that the brain is not getting enough oxygen. Call for help immediately if you or someone around you experiences one or more of these signs. 

• Sudden weakness, paralysis or numbness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden onset of double vision, dimness or loss of vision
• Sudden difficulty speaking or understanding language
• Sudden severe headache without apparent cause
• Unexplained dizziness, unsteadiness or loss of balance, especially in combination with other signs 

It is easy to misinterpret these symptoms since they could be symptoms of other conditions, so it is imperative to get to the hospital and receive a proper diagnosis and treatment. For treatment to be most successful, a patient should be treated for stroke within the first three hours of the onset of symptoms.
Sometimes people will experience stroke symptoms that disappear within a few minutes. These transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) or mini-strokes are caused by temporary interruptions to the blood supply of the brain. TIAs are a pre-sign of stroke and should not be ignored. “Many times symptoms will be gone long before the person goes to the emergency department,” Wenger explains. “Five percent of people who experience a TIA will go on to have a stroke in the next 48 hours. In the next 30 days, that number rises to as high as 10 percent.” 

About one-third of people who have a TIA eventually will have a stroke, one-third will continue to experience occasional TIAs and the final third will not experience further symptoms. Your doctor will perform tests to determine the cause of TIAs and treat the problem through surgery or medication, if possible.
If you or someone around you is experiencing symptoms of stroke, call 911 immediately.

To find out if you are at risk for a stroke, make an appointment with your doctor or call 1.877.UT.CARES (1.877.882.2737) to request an appointment today!

For more information on stroke, visit Stroke Information and Services.