Signs of a Stroke

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain becomes blocked. The symptoms of a stroke usually occur rapidly (over the course of several seconds or a few minutes) and rarely progress past that point. Early diagnosis and treatment of a stroke greatly improves the prognosis for the patient. Depending on the parts of the brain affected by the stroke, the patient will have different symptoms.

Hemiplegia

• A stroke can often cause hemiplegia and weakness of the facial muscles.

Numbness

• A stroke can also cause numbness or reduced sensation in different parts of the body, depending on where the stroke is located. In general, problems felt on the right side of the body will be due to a stroke on the left side of the brain, and vice versa.

Altered Senses

• People who have recently suffered a stroke may experience alterations in their senses of smell, taste, hearing and vision.

Balance

• Other symptoms of a stroke include difficulty in keeping one's balance and nystagmus, involuntary movements of the eyeballs.

Tongue Weakness

• Another symptom of a stroke is weakness of the tongue, which will often manifest itself in slurred speech.