Know the Signs of Stroke

One of my (athletic) family members had a mini-stroke today. Instead of going directly to the hospital, she waited a couple hours to see if the symptoms would go away.... :mad:

Rule Number 1: DO NOT WAIT!!!

Here's a list of signs from NIH http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/s...knowstroke.htm

The symptoms of stroke are distinct because they happen quickly:

Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg (especially on one side of the body)
Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech
Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
Sudden severe headache with no known cause

If you think someone may be having a stroke, remember to act F.A.S.T. and do this simple test:
F—FACE: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?

A—ARMS: Ask them to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

S—SPEECH: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?

T—TIME: If you observe any of these signs, call 9-1-1 immediately.

http://www.stroke.org

I had a (non athletic) family member who had a major stoke, waited over 24 hours, would not do the therapy required ... never recovered. Your MIL has had a mini stroke yet continues to be active (gardening) and lives actively and independently at over 80. We're all at risk but I think tending to be active helps in many ways both before and after. :o It'll be ok.

A little update:

She had a full-blown stroke. Not just a TIA. Now she's on a gazillion medications, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy; and needs an assistive device to walk.

This is a woman who walks marathons and half marathons. She was 7 miles into a 10 mile training walk when she had her stroke.

Do. Not. Wait.

If you have any symptoms of stroke, go directly to the hospital. Every minute of delay is a minute of function loss.

My Mammaw had a major stroke but she made it to the hospital on the short window to get the drugs (can't remember the name TNA?). Although she does need a walker (she might have anyway she is 93) she is very sharp, she does her crosswords daily, she tells me stories from her childhood with amazing detail, she even remembers my pet's names.

My Aunt Ruth had a stroke and was not found for several hours, she lived 10 years on a feeding tube with minimal recognition of the world around her. Thanks for posting Knott, I have known athletic women in their late 30's that had a stroke. It isn't just the elderly.

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Originally Posted by KnottedYet

A little update:

This is a woman who walks marathons and half marathons. She was 7 miles into a 10 mile training walk when she had her stroke.

Do. Not. Wait.

If you have any symptoms of stroke, go directly to the hospital. Every minute of delay is a minute of function loss.

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Wow, Knot. Hope she recovers from it all through rehab.!
We had heard someone at my workplace had a sudden heart attack. He was in his early 40's and slim guy, etc.

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Originally Posted by Muirenn

I'm sorry about your family-member Knot:(

I think it would be hard for me to rush to the doctor based on any of those symtoms.

Anything to add to that? :confused:

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Medical providers WANT to see you if you are having these symptoms. They will not scoff.

I had a strange vision episode, called the eye doc who grilled me about all the other symptoms, which I didn't have. Eye doc saw me right away in his office; it turned out to be a funky migraine thing, but everyone took the stroke possibility seriously, even me.

How do you tell a stroke apart from a migraine?

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Originally Posted by soprano

How do you tell a stroke apart from a migraine?

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I thought about vertigo when I read the symptoms, too. I get vertigo frequently (I'm dealing with it right now after air travel 2 days ago). It's scary to me that I could end up with what appears similar to something I deal with semi-chronically.

I'm not sure you can tell without a scan? When I had my one migraine episode, they did a CT that same afternoon to rule out stroke, even though the only symptom I had was the visual disturbance (and if it had been a TIA, would it have shown up on CT??? I don't know). If you have a history of migraine you might want to ask your neurologist about how to identify stroke.

I deal with high anxiety anyway, and last night while cooking, i started seeing double and one eye was showing everything like it was vibrating...became a little dizzy as well as a headache. This lasted a little more than an hour until I took a zanex and went to sleep.. does this sound like a stroke? I'm not sure and don't want to overreact. Please advise anyone!!

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Originally Posted by dkurtz39

I deal with high anxiety anyway, and last night while cooking, i started seeing double and one eye was showing everything like it was vibrating...became a little dizzy as well as a headache. This lasted a little more than an hour until I took a zanex and went to sleep.. does this sound like a stroke? I'm not sure and don't want to overreact. Please advise anyone!!

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Call your doctor. I don't think anyone here is qualified to give you medical advice on the basis of what you wrote.

And welcome to TE!

Heart Attack Warning Signs
Some heart attacks are sudden and intense — the "movie heart attack," where no one doubts what's happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren't sure what's wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:

Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness

While searching net i got these this from daily fitness site.

Stroke Warning Signs
The American Stroke Association says these are the warning signs of stroke:


Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
Sudden, severe headache with no known cause
If you or someone with you has one or more of these signs, don't delay! Immediately call 9-1-1 or the emergency medical services (EMS) number so an ambulance (ideally with advanced life support) can be sent for you. Also, check the time so you'll know when the first symptoms appeared. It's very important to take immediate action. If given within three hours of the start of symptoms, a clot-busting drug can reduce long-term disability for the most common type of stroke.

Hi Knot,
Do update about your family members recovery and hope she will be better now. Very informative link and I have read the signs and remedies of stroke. I have bookmarked the link for further reference.