Face & Cheek Pain With a Stroke

Stroke is the third most common cause of death in the United States, with 75 percent of cases affecting those over the age of 65, according to Washington University in St. Louis. Pain and numbness throughout the face is among the first red flags.

Significance

• Blockage of arteries leading to the head typically results in a stroke, also called a “brain attack.” It occurs when a proper amount of blood and oxygen fails to reach the brain.

Identification

• Two primary types of stroke exist. “An ischemic stroke is caused by a blood clot that blocks or plugs a blood vessel or artery in the brain. About 80 percent of all strokes are ischemic,” according to the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. “The second, known as a hemorrhagic stroke, is caused by a blood vessel in the brain that breaks and bleeds into the brain.”

Effects

• A sudden numbness or weakness throughout any area of the face or pain emanating from the jaw is a common stroke warning signal, according to the American Stroke Association. A stricken patient may also experience a sensation of tingling. In some cases, post-stroke effects will include paralysis of certain facial muscles.

Symptoms

• Additional symptoms of stroke include confusion, difficulty speaking, vision problems, dizziness, trouble walking and loss of coordination or balance, nausea, vomiting, or a severe headache.

Considerations

• Immediate emergency action may reduce severe damage. “If given within three hours of the start of symptoms, a clot-busting drug called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) can reduce long-term disability for the most common type of stroke,” according to the American Heart Association.