How do I know if I'm having a stroke?

Your blood vessels carry blood, oxygen and nutrients to the brain and to the rest of the body. A stroke can occur in two ways:

• A blood clot travels to the brain, interrupting the supply of blood and oxygen it carries to the cells in the brain.
• A blood vessel to the brain ruptures or breaks, resulting in bleeding in the brain.

The result in both types of stroke is that brain cells die, and the parts of the body that those cells control are affected.

Stroke warning signs

The signs and symptoms of a stroke are the same for both men and women. The main warning signs are:

• Weakness. You may feel sudden weakness, numbness or tingling in your face, arm or leg.
• Trouble speaking. You may temporarily have trouble speaking or understanding what others say.
• Vision problems. You may suddenly lose your vision, especially in one eye, or you may have double vision.
• Headache. You may have a sudden, severe and unusual headache.
• Dizziness. You may suddenly lose your balance, especially if you are also showing any of the above signs.

If you or anyone you know is showing any of the warning signs, call 911 or your local emergency number as quickly as possible. You could help avoid a stroke.

Risk factors

You can have a stroke at any age, but they are more common in older adults.

Your risk is greater if you:

• have high blood pressure
• smoke
• have hardening of the arteries
• have heart disease
• have diabetes
• have a family history of stroke.

See "What can I do to prevent a stroke?" for more information on how to manage some of these risk factors.

Act quickly

If a stroke is already in progress, getting immediate medical help can limit the brain damage that can occur.

Additional resources

• Common misconceptions about stroke - Capital Health (Edmonton)
• Common risk factors for stroke - Prevent Stroke

Prepared by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and modified by Alberta Health Services. This FAQ appeared originally on the Canadian Health Network Web site.