Being struck down by a stroke is something that happens to thousands of people every year. As you age, your body becomes more vulnerable to a variety of diseases and syndromes and stroke is one of them.
Having a stroke can leave you unable to speak, or damage your hearing, or any one or combination of a number of things. Strokes can be and often are fatal. There are many factors that can increase your risk of having a stroke and these factors generally increase as we get older. You can do a lot to reduce your risk of having a stroke and by doing things to reduce the risk of stroke, you will also be decreasing your risk of so many other health problems.
Everyone remains at risk of stroke to one degree or another, though, and this is just a fact of life that is unavoidable. So doing what you can to bring down your risk factor just makes good common sense. Knowing the warning signs of a stroke is something that will help you survive a stoke, if you or a loved one should ever have one. Early response and early treatment in the event of a stroke are the keys to minimizing the damage and increasing your chances of survival.
If you notice a sudden numbness and or a weakness of the face, arm, or leg and particularly if this occurs on only one side of the body, then this could be the warning sign of a stroke. Quite often this will also include a slurring of or difficulty in speech. Often the person who has the numbness in the face and the speech slurring, wont even notice it and it has to be pointed out by someone who looks at and talks to them.
A person with this problem will many times have half their mouth and cheek on one side of their face unusable and drooping. An elderly relative can sometimes become difficult and confused when signs such as these manifest themselves so it is important that help be sought immediately if any of these signs are noticed. This is because sudden confusion is also many times a one of a strokes symptoms, along with suddenly having trouble understanding what is being spoken to them.
Sudden trouble seeing in both eyes is another warning sign of a stroke. If you or a loved one suddenly has trouble walking and has balance and coordination problems, this is also a warning sign of stroke. A severe headache with no known cause is also a warning sign of stroke. The term "severe," cannot be overemphasized. Often the headache that signals an oncoming stroke is incapacitating and so painful that often people will go to a hospital for the headache alone.
These are all some of the more common warning signs of a stroke but there are others as well. If you find an elderly relative in bed and completely unresponsive this also can be due to a severe stroke. Anything out of the ordinary that is happening to your senses is cause for concern. Hearing a pop and hearing water running, or smelling smoke, or a ringing in your ears, or suddenly tasting any flavor in your mouth should all be cause for concern. There are mild and severe strokes so remain watchful of yourself and your loved ones for the early warning signs of a stroke.
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