Early Warning Signs of a Stroke

Early warning signs of a stroke can include sudden severe headache with no known cause, double vision, drowsiness, and vomiting. Other early signs of a stroke may include sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech, and dizziness. If you or someone else experiences possible early warning signs of stroke, consider it an emergency and seek medical attention immediately -- don't wait for these possible signs of a stroke to improve or worsen.

 

Early Warning Signs of a Stroke: An Overview

Early warning signs of a stroke are clues that your body sends to indicate that your brain is not receiving enough oxygen and nutrients. If your brain does not receive oxygen and nutrients for a period of time, permanent damage (i.e., a stroke) can result. If you observe one or more of these early warning signs of a stroke or "brain attack," don't wait, call a doctor or 911 right away!
 

Specific Early Warning Signs of a Stroke

Specific early warning signs of a stroke can include:
 
  • Sudden confusion
  • Trouble speaking or understanding speech
  • Sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm, hand, or leg (especially on one side of the body)
  • Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes (such as double vision, blurred vision, or blindness)
  • Sudden trouble walking
  • Sudden dizziness or lightheadedness
  • Sudden loss of balance or coordination
  • Sudden severe headache with no known cause
  • Vomiting
  • Seizures (in a small number of cases).
 
Keep in mind that even if these symptoms pass quickly, they are an important early warning signs that require medical attention.
 

Are TIAs Early Warning Signs of a Stroke?

Sometimes early warning signs of a stroke occur, but they may last only a few moments and then disappear. This type of brief episode is known as a transient ischemic attack, or TIA (sometimes called a "mini-stroke").
 
Because there is no way to tell whether symptoms are from a TIA or a stroke, assume that all stroke-like symptoms signal an emergency -- do not wait to see if they go away. A prompt evaluation (within 60 minutes) is necessary to identify the cause of the stroke and to determine appropriate therapy.
 
Even if symptoms do get better, there is still a serious problem causing the TIA and it isn't going away without medical help. Therefore, do not ignore these early warning signs of a stroke -- heeding them and getting treatment can save your life.
 
Add this article to your Favorites     Email this article     Print
Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD