Stroke Symptoms

What are the symptoms of a stroke?

The main symptoms of a stroke include changes to a persons’ :

Face

Assymetrical appearance – check if they can smile and will show any weakness on the facial muscles or facial droop.

Arms and Legs

Weaknesses in their arms or legs – this can be one sided (hemiplegia) or bilateral weaknesses.

Speech

Difficulty speaking, strange speech, inabilty to speak. Disorientation. Confusion.

Time

How long have these symptoms lasted for? If they only last a couple minutes the person may have just had a transient cerebral event (TIA), but if they remain unresolved, then it is likely the person has had a Cerebral Vascular Accident (CVA). It should be noted though that these terms are no longer in use in Australia very much anymore and have been replaced with the simple term Stroke, which encompasses all cerebral events.