HEALTH: Signs A Stroke Is About To Happen

Acting fast can make a big difference for someone who having a stroke. It can happen to just about anyone at any given moment in time. Strokes happen when a blood vessel that brings oxygen to the brain is either blocked (ischemic attack) or bursts open (hemorrhagic stroke).

Lack of oxygen kills the brain cells that this particular blood vessel serves, and the part of the body that these brain cells control stops working. When the blood vessel is only blocked for a short time, it’s called a transient ischemic attack (or TIA). They are like mini-strokes or warning strokes, and they tend to happen before a major stroke. Knowing the signs of a stroke can help you get treatment fast and maybe even avoid a major stroke event in the case of TIAs. So here are the 6 early warning signs you are having a stroke soon.

1. Extreme Migraine/Headache

Extreme migraine or headache could mean a lot of things, one of them is the possibility of having a stroke. If you don’t have a long history of having migraines and headaches and suddenly you have been dealing with this kind of pain for a couple of times, then it might be a sign that one of the blood vessels located in your brain is blocked. The internal bleeding causes the chain of events that results to extreme head pain.

2. Troubles in Focusing

Are you having difficulty in understanding anything anyone is saying to you? Can’t seem to make full sentences? Well, an impaired ability to think and focus is also a good sign of a stroke. This is due to the lack of oxygen in a certain area of your brain. When this happens, there is a difficulty for your brain to process things and perform its functions that a normal healthy brain does.

3. Dizziness

Being unable to keep your balance when standing could mean a lot of things but this could also be another warning sign of a stroke. In addition to this, stroke happens when your mouth starts to droop and there is difficulty in talking or saying even the simplest words. The reason for this is that during stroke, the blood which should get to your facial muscles is blocked.

4. Weakness

Stroke will only affect one side of your body, that is why extreme weakness and numbness in one of your arms or any part of your body is also a huge sign of a stroke. Most of the time, blockage and bleeding happens in only one side of your brain and it then affects the functions of specific body parts on that side.

5. Vision Issues

Having said symptom number four, a weak or impaired vision is also a sign of stroke. If you do not have any lengthy history of vision issues, then this is a good sign. Developing a double vision is another way to tell. The reason behind this is that your eyes are no longer working together to focus on seeing something. Instead, it becomes weak, or completely numb.

6. Exhaustion or Fatigue

Of all the symptoms mentioned previously, sudden exhaustion or fatigue is the symptom hardest to detect as a sign for having a stroke. However, if there is disruption happening within your body, sudden tiredness will be felt. The reason behind this is that the brain is not getting any flow of blood to the affected location. When you feel extremely exhausted for no reason, then this could be an indication of having a stroke.

These early warning signs should help you detect if you are about to have a stroke. When this happens, it is advised to call for help immediately and see your doctor.