Stroke: warning signs and possible treatments

Stroke, or cerebral infarction, is caused by a sudden interruption of blood flow, when a vessel in the brain ruptures or becomes clogged.

It is a serious medical problem, which entails a series of sequelae of varying severity. The good news is that there are a series of warning symptoms that allow us to detect the approach of a stroke and act accordingly.

In this article we will know nine warning signs of stroke. If we observe one (or more than one) of them in a friend or relative (or in ourselves), we must go to the emergency room immediately. At the end of the article, we will also talk about the usual treatments that are applied in cases of stroke.

• Related article: "Cerebral ischemia: causes, symptoms and treatment"

Stroke: what is it? and types

Stroke, also known as cerebrovascular accident (CVA), embolism or thrombosis, consists of an interruption of blood flow in some area of ​​the brain.

Two things can happen; that a blood vessel ruptures, or becomes blocked by a clot. If it ruptures (hemorrhagic stroke), a cerebral hemorrhage occurs, and the blood floods certain areas of the brain; On the other hand, if it is plugged (ischemic stroke), certain areas do not receive blood and therefore do not receive oxygen, which can cause neuronal death in these areas.

This implies diverse consequences and symptoms for the person, from cognitive impairments, to mobility problems, sensitivity, language, etc. (It all depends on the affected area and other factors).

9 warning signs

There are, however, some warning signs that may be indicating that a stroke is approaching.

These warning signs or symptoms are manifested in the person who is about to have a stroke. Knowing them will be of vital importance and can help us, since, in the event of a stroke, we can prevent the damage from being greater (intervening in the symptoms early).

We are going to see the 9 most important stroke warning signs below.

1. Speech difficulties

One of the first warning symptoms of a stroke is speech difficulties. Thus, it is difficult for the person to formulate meaningful sentences, or even to repeat a sentence that we propose. In this way, if we suspect that we are facing an alarm symptom, we can ask the person to repeat a simple phrase to us.

In the event that you cannot do it, we must be alert and even go to the emergency room. Another characteristic that may manifest is that they do not understand what we are saying (comprehension difficulties).

2. Vision disturbances

Another warning sign of stroke is a disturbance in vision. This can be translated into: blurred vision, double vision, loss of vision (in both eyes or in one), etc. Although this symptom, like the others, may be the result of another disorder other than stroke (or sometimes fatigue), we must be alert and take it seriously, going to the emergency room if necessary.

3. Sudden headache

Sudden headache is also a red flag in the case of stroke. This occurs because some area of ​​the brain is not receiving its necessary supply of oxygen. It's about a headache of an unusual intensity; furthermore, there is apparently no cause that justifies it.

On the other hand, sometimes this pain is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, paralysis of some area of ​​the body, etc.

4. Memory failures

We must also be alert if the person (or ourselves) suddenly fails our memory. This memory failure is not the typical memory error that usually appears with age, but is generally accompanied by great mental confusion for the person.

5. Loss of sensation ("crooked smile")

Another characteristic symptom of an approaching stroke is loss of sensation in some areas of the body, especially on the face (on one side or both). It is, in fact, one of the most frequent alarm symptoms.

This loss of sensitivity in the face leads to an inability to smile (that is, we cannot move the right or left part of the mouth). Thus, the person is left with a crooked mouth. In addition, the loss of sensitivity is accompanied by other symptoms, such as a tingling sensation in the face (or in the arm, leg ...).

6. Muscular weakness

The approach of a stroke It can also cause this other warning symptom: a muscle weakness (or lack of strength), as well as sensitivity on one side of the body. It can be checked by asking the person to raise their arms; if he is unable to do so (or one of them falls "collapsed"), we should worry.

7. Dizziness

Feeling dizzy may also be alerting us to the approach of a possible stroke. This dizziness can also translate into a feeling of loss of balance or difficulty walking, and is due to loss of strength on one side of the body (or both).

8. Numbness

Another warning symptom, and also very common, is a numbness of the body (or part of it), which translates into a sudden sensation of weakness in certain muscle groups, and which are usually the leg or arm. In addition, movement problems can also appear.

9. Alteration of other senses

In addition to vision, Alterations in the rest of the senses may also appear: smell, touch, hearing… Thus, strange sensations related to the senses appear, for example.

Possible treatments

What treatments are there for stroke? These will vary depending on their origin (hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke) and other factors. However, what is clear is that treatment should start as soon as possible, as early as possible.

Sometimes a surgical intervention will be required to remove the blood clot, as well as decrease the intracranial pressure that the brain is suffering and which can lead to bleeding cerebral. If the stroke is ischemic (lack of oxygen), the patient should receive drug treatment with anticoagulants for the rest of his life.

This last treatment is preventive in nature (it aims to prevent the appearance of new strokes), and it also applies to patients at high risk for cerebrovascular problems and / or cardiovascular

On the other hand, the treatment to intervene in the sequelae caused by the stroke will be of a rehabilitative nature; that is, it will consist of a rehabilitative treatment, which allows to improve the lost or damaged functions. This treatment, depending on the sequelae, will be focused on improving the mobility of the patient. (physiotherapy), as well as their language (speech therapy) and other cognitive functions such as memory, attention, etc. (neuropsychological rehabilitation).

Bibliographic references

• Ministry of Science and Innovation. (2009). Clinical Practice Guide for the Management of Patients with Stroke in Primary Care. Clinical practice guidelines in the SNS. Ministry of health and social policy.

• Spanish Society of Neurology. (1996). Management of the patient with acute cerebrovascular disease. Cerebrovascular Diseases Study Group.

• Ustrell-Roig, X. and Serena-Leal, J. (2007). Ictus. Diagnosis and treatment of cerebrovascular diseases. Revista Española de Cardiología, 60 (7): 753-769.