From: judgeparker23x@gmail.com   
      
   Am I Having a Stroke? 7 Signs of Stroke You Might Be Ignoring   
      
   Stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death nationwide. Brain damage from   
   strokes can be minimized if they are treated promptly, but it's common to   
   mistake signs of a stroke for other health problems, which delays treatment.   
   By Alyssa Jung   
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   Never ignore these signs of a stroke   
   Never ignore these signs of a stroke   
   Ming Hai for Reader's DIgest   
   In each minute of a stroke, your brain loses an estimated 1.9 million cells.   
   Each hour a stroke goes untreated ages your brain the equivalent of three and   
   a half years. The longer a stroke lasts or a patient doesn't receive   
   treatment, the greater chance    
   of lingering speech difficulties, memory loss, or behavioral changes. The   
   earlier a stroke is caught, the better the treatment options, which can   
   minimize damage and improve the odds of a fuller recovery. "Stroke is scary.   
   Denial is the biggest factor in    
   delaying treatment. When I ask stroke patients in the ER why they waited to   
   call 911, the most common response is that they wanted to see if it would go   
   away," says Carolyn Brockington, MD, director of the Mount Sinai Stroke Center   
   in New York City.   
      
   There are two kinds of stroke. An ischemic stroke means blocked blood vessels   
   cause a reduction in blood flow in the brain. A hemorrhagic stroke means a   
   ruptured blood vessel is leaking blood in the brain. Symptoms for both kinds   
   of stroke can be the    
   same. It's important to call 911 as soon as you notice any potential signs of   
   trouble.   
   You think exhaustion is making you see double   
   You think exhaustion is making you see double   
   Ming Hai for Reader's DIgest   
   Vision problems like seeing double, blurriness, or loss of sight in one eye   
   can be a sign of a stroke, but many people blame this on old age or tiredness.   
   "Seeing two images is very unusual for just being tired or reading too much,"   
   Dr. Brockington says.    
   A blocked blood vessel can reduce the amount of oxygen getting to the eye,   
   which causes vision issues that may not be accompanied by any other signs of   
   stroke.   
   You think your arm is numb because it "just fell asleep"   
   You think your arm is numb because it "just fell asleep"   
   Ming Hai for Reader's DIgest   
   If you wake up from a nap and your arm or leg is numb, it's easy to assume   
   it's due to a compressed nerve. "Don't feel like a hypochondriac. If your arm   
   is suddenly numb or weak, and it doesn't go away in a few minutes, call 911,"   
   says Ralph Sacco, MD,    
   professor of neurology at University of Miami North School of Medicine.   
   Decreased blood flow through the arteries that run up your spine to the back   
   of your head causes numbness or weakness on one side of the body.    
   You blame slurred speech on your medications   
   You blame slurred speech on your medications   
   Ming Hai for Reader's DIgest   
   "Some medicines, like painkillers, can cause slurred speech and people often   
   chalk up speech issues to their drugs as opposed to stroke," says Dr. Sacco.   
   But if that's not a side effect you usually experience, you might be having a   
   stroke and should seek    
   help immediately, he says.   
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   You assume alcohol is behind your wobbliness   
   You assume alcohol is behind your wobbliness   
   Ming Hai for Reader's DIgest   
   "People think they're having balance issues because they had a drink, but see   
   if that makes sense," says Dr. Brockington. "You won't have delayed balance   
   problems, so a drink from earlier in the day probably isn't to blame. It could   
   be from a decrease in    
   blood flow to the brain." If you suddenly start to stumble, can't walk   
   straight, or experience sudden dizziness, don't wait for it to pass; call 911   
   right away.    
   You think that"it's on the tip of my tongue" feeling is due to being tired   
   You think that"it's on the tip of my tongue" feeling is due to being tired   
   Ming Hai for Reader's DIgest   
   When people have trouble thinking of the right words or lose their train of   
   thought, they figure they're tired or foggy, says Dr. Brockington. But sudden   
   cognitive deficits are a common sign of stroke. "You might struggle to think   
   of a word every once in    
   awhile, but there shouldn't be a long period of time where you can't think of   
   anything to say or be unable to speak," says Dr. Brockington.    
      
   In some cases, stroke patients won't be aware that anything is wrong, so   
   people around them should raise the alarm. "The part of the brain that isn't   
   working well impairs the stroke patient's perception and the ability to   
   think," says Dr. Sacco.    
   You chalk that blinding headache up to a migraine   
   You chalk that blinding headache up to a migraine   
   Ming Hai for Reader's DIgest   
   It might just be a migraine, but if you're not prone to them, it could be a   
   stroke. "Migraine headaches can masquerade as a stroke because they have the   
   same neurological symptoms," says Sacco. "I tell people to treat it like a   
   stroke and call for help;    
   let us figure it out."   
      
      
      
      
   http://www.rd.com/health/conditions/am-i-having-stroke/   
      
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