Introduction
The most common symptoms of a stroke are those also found in the so-called FAST test: a unilateral drooping eyelid or corner of the mouth, unilateral paralysis of an arm or leg and speech disorders. Depending on the severity of the stroke, however, these symptoms can be more or less pronounced. Not all cardinal symptoms always occur together, and other symptoms may also be present. This mainly depends on the area of the brain in which the stroke has occurred and which brain region is therefore affected and fails.
These can be typical symptoms
Among the typical and also most common symptoms of a stroke are Hemiparesis: weakness or complete paralysis of one side of the body (arm and/or leg, one half of the face)
- Hemiparesis: weakness or complete paralysis of one side of the body (arm and/or leg, one half of the face)
- Speech disorders: inability to speak, limited speech, limited comprehension
Other symptoms can also be: Impaired balance, dizziness and insecure gait Visual disturbances (double vision, short-term loss of vision, flickering eyes) Cloudiness of consciousness or short-term loss of consciousness Confusion and disorientation Nausea and vomiting Tingling and numbness in arms and legs Sudden onset of severe headache; neck pain Memory loss (amnesia) Disturbances in the control of urination (incontinence/urinary retention) Swallowing disorders
- Other symptoms can also be:
- Balance disorders, dizziness and gait insecurity
- Visual disturbances (double images, short-term loss of vision, flickering eyes)
- Clouding of consciousness or short-term loss of consciousness
- Confusion and disorientation
- Nausea and vomiting
- Tingling and numbness in arms and legs
- Sudden onset of the most severe headache; neck pain
- Memory loss (amnesia)
- Disorders in the control of urination (incontinence/urinary retention)
- Swallowing disorders
Headaches
A common symptom of stroke is headache. About 40% of people who suffer from headache at the time of stroke suffer from headache up to three days after the stroke, although this is more frequent in women than in men. Headache is also more frequent when the stroke occurs in the bloodstream of the posterior brain than when it is located in the anterior stream.
Headache is usually described as sudden, very severe (often fatal) and dull and oppressive, and is often felt particularly in the front part of the forehead or on both sides of the head. The reason for the headache is as follows: the brain tissue itself is not sensitive to pain, but the blood vessels in the brain and also the meninges are. If a blood vessel ruptures and subsequently bleeds into the brain tissue, the pressure irritates the surrounding vessels and the meninges, resulting in headache. If the occlusion of a vessel leads to a reduced supply of blood and oxygen to the tissue, the blood pressure rises locally to compensate for the reduced supply – this is also characterized by headache.
