Is this your symptom?
- Sudden weakness, tingling or loss of feeling in the face, arm, or leg
- Not able to speak; slurred or confused speech; drooling
- Sudden loss of balance or coordination
Stroke
- A stroke happens when the blood flow to part of the brain is suddenly cut off. This may be caused by a clot in the blood vessel or if the blood vessel bursts and bleeds.
- Brain cells are damaged or die. The amount of damage depends on where the blood flow is cut off and for how long.
- Ischemic stroke is caused by a blood clot. The clot may form in the blood vessel in the brain from hardening of the arteries or it might have formed somewhere else in the body (such as in the heart) and travel to the brain where it gets stuck. Clot busting drugs or surgery to remove the clot may be needed. Treatment may be needed to prevent more clots.
- Hemorrhagic stroke is caused by a bleed. A blood vessel in the brain bursts and bleeds. This limits oxygen and may put pressure on the brain tissue.
- Most cases occur in people age 65 years and older, but can occur at any age.
Risk Factors for Stroke
- Hardening of the Arteries
is a common reason why a blood clot forms. You can reduce the risk of having a stroke, or a future stroke, by lowering the risk of hardening arteries. This includes:
- Stop smoking if you are a smoker.
- Follow a healthy diet and work to maintain an ideal weight.
- Get you cholesterol checked. You doctor will suggest treatment if it is high.
- Exercise: do some moderate activity most days of the week for at least 30 minutes. Examples are brisk walking, cycling, dancing, or gardening.
- Limit alcohol to one drink a day for women; two drinks a day for men.
- Get your blood pressure checked at least once a year. Your doctor will treat it, if it is high.
- See the High Blood Pressure care guide for more advice.
- Diabetes. If you have diabetes, keep you blood sugar levels as near normal as you can.
- Atrial Fibrillation is an abnormal heart rhythm which can cause clots to form in the heart. If a piece of clot enters the blood stream, it can lodge in the brain. If you think your heart beat is not regular, ask your doctor to check it for you. He/she will be able to treat the problem or prevent the clots from forming.
Stroke After-Effects
- A major stroke can cause death.
- A minor stroke can cause symptoms which go away completely over time.
- Symptoms may take many months to get better. Some symptoms may never go away. In the first few weeks, swelling in the brain settles down. Over a longer period of time there may be more recovery.
- Every stroke is different. The problems for each person may differ and the treatment plan will be unique.
- Common after effects are:
- Weakness of one side of the body
- Problems with balance or co-ordination
- Swallowing problems because the muscles that help you swallow have become weak
- Trouble speaking - unable to physically say the words needed or to find the right words
- Vision problems, such as double vision or loss of part of the field of vision
- Trouble with mental processes e.g. memory or concentration
- Emotional upset - crying or laughing easily or for no apparent reason
- Tiredness
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
- Causes symptoms like a stroke, but symptoms last for less than 24 hours
- Most cases are due to a tiny blood clot which only blocks the blood and oxygen supply to the brain cells for a few minutes. The clot might break up or the blood flow is restored.
- Even if symptoms resolve in a few minutes, you should see a doctor right away. You have a higher risk of having a full stroke.
When to Call for Slurred speech
Call 911 Now
Go to ER Now
Call Doctor or Seek Care Now
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Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours
Contact Doctor During Office Hours
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Self Care at Home
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Call 911 Now
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New or sudden onset of one or more of these symptoms:
- Face weakness or drooping
- Arm or leg weakness
- Unable to speak or can't speak clearly
- Seizure
- Passed out or hard to wake up after 2 minutes
- Suddenly confused or more confused than usual
- You think you have a life-threatening emergency
Go to ER Now
- Feel too dizzy to stand after drinking fluids
- Severe headache
Call Doctor or Seek Care Now
- Any of these symptoms happened, but went away within a few minutes:
- Face, arm or leg weakness
- Loss of feeling in the face, arm, or leg (and no clear reason)
- Speech problems
- You feel weak or very sick
- You think you need to be seen, and the problem is urgent
Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours
- Heartbeat does not feel normal (fast, slow or not steady)
- You think you need to be seen, but the problem is not urgent
Contact Doctor During Office Hours
- You have other questions or concerns
Self Care at Home
- Simple fainting and now alert and feel fine
Care Advice for Stomach Pain
What You Should Know About Stomach Pain:
- Mild stomach pain can be caused by something simple. It could be from gas pains or eating too much.
- Sometimes, stomach pain signals the start of a viral infection. This will lead to vomiting or loose stools.
- Watching your child for 2 hours will help tell you the cause.
- Here is some care advice that should help.
Lie Down:
- Have your child lie down and rest until feeling better.
Clear Fluids:
- Offer clear fluids only (such as water, flat soft drinks or half-strength Gatorade).
- For mild pain, offer a regular diet.
Prepare for Vomiting:
- Keep a vomiting pan handy.
- Younger children often talk about stomach pain when they have nausea. Nausea is the sick stomach feeling that comes before they throw up.
Pass a Stool:
- Have your child sit on the toilet and try to pass a stool.
- This may help if the pain is from constipation or diarrhea.
- Note: for constipation, moving a warm wet cotton ball on the anus may help.
Do Not Give Medicines:
- Any drug (like ibuprofen) could upset the stomach and make the pain worse.
- Do not give any pain medicines or laxatives for stomach cramps.
- For fever higher than 102° F (39° C), acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) can be given.
What to Expect:
- With harmless causes, the pain is most often better or gone in 2 hours.
- With stomach flu, belly cramps may happen before each bout of vomiting or diarrhea. These cramps may come and go for a few days.
- With serious causes (such as appendicitis), the pain worsens and becomes constant.
Call Your Doctor If:
- Pain becomes severe
- Constant pain lasts more than 2 hours
- Mild pain that comes and goes lasts more than 24 hours
- You think your child needs to be seen
- Your child becomes worse
Extra Help - Worried Stomach:
- Help your child talk about events that trigger the stomach pain. Talk to your child about how to cope with these the next time around.
- Help your child worry less about things she can't control.
- To treat the pain, help your child get very relaxed. Lying down in a quiet place and taking slow deep breaths may help. Make the belly go up and down with each breath. Then try to relax all the muscles in the body. Think about something pleasant. Listening to audios that teach how to relax might also help.
- Make sure your child gets enough sleep.
- Make sure that your child doesn't miss any school because of stomach pains. Stressed children tend to want to stay home when the going gets rough.
- Caution: your child should see her doctor for an exam. Do this before concluding frequent stomach pains are from worrying too much.
