| Being struck down by a stroke is something that | | | | pointed out by someone who looks at and talks to |
| happens to thousands of people every year. As you | | | | them. |
| age, your body becomes more vulnerable to a | | | | A person with this problem will many times have half |
| variety of diseases and syndromes and stroke is one | | | | their mouth and cheek on one side of their face |
| of them. A stroke is caused by a blood vessel in the | | | | unusable and drooping. An elderly relative can |
| brain rupturing and flooding an area of your brain with | | | | sometimes become difficult and confused when signs |
| blood and causing brain damage in the area of the | | | | such as these manifest themselves so it is important |
| brain it occurs in. | | | | that help be sought immediately if any of these signs |
| Having a stroke can leave you unable to speak, or | | | | are noticed. This is because sudden confusion is also |
| damage your hearing, or any one or combination of a | | | | many times a one of a strokes symptoms, along |
| number of things. Strokes can be and often are fatal. | | | | with suddenly having trouble understanding what is |
| There are many factors that can increase your risk | | | | being spoken to them. |
| of having a stroke and these factors generally | | | | Sudden trouble seeing in both eyes is another |
| increase as we get older. You can do a lot to reduce | | | | warning sign of a stroke. If you or a loved one |
| your risk of having a stroke and by doing things to | | | | suddenly has trouble walking and has balance and |
| reduce the risk of stroke, you will also be decreasing | | | | coordination problems, this is also a warning sign of |
| your risk of so many other health problems. | | | | stroke. A severe headache with no known cause is |
| Everyone remains at risk of stroke to one degree or | | | | also a warning sign of stroke. The term "severe," |
| another, though, and this is just a fact of life that is | | | | cannot be overemphasized. Often the headache that |
| unavoidable. So doing what you can to bring down | | | | signals an oncoming stroke is incapacitating and so |
| your risk factor just makes good common sense. | | | | painful that often people will go to a hospital for the |
| Knowing the warning signs of a stroke is something | | | | headache alone. |
| that will help you survive a stoke, if you or a loved | | | | These are all some of the more common warning |
| one should ever have one. Early response and early | | | | signs of a stroke but there are others as well. If you |
| treatment in the event of a stroke are the keys to | | | | find an elderly relative in bed and completely |
| minimizing the damage and increasing your chances of | | | | unresponsive this also can be due to a severe stroke. |
| survival. | | | | Anything out of the ordinary that is happening to |
| If you notice a sudden numbness and or a weakness | | | | your senses is cause for concern. Hearing a pop and |
| of the face, arm, or leg and particularly if this occurs | | | | hearing water running, or smelling smoke, or a ringing |
| on only one side of the body, then this could be the | | | | in your ears, or suddenly tasting any flavor in your |
| warning sign of a stroke. Quite often this will also | | | | mouth should all be cause for concern. There are mild |
| include a slurring of or difficulty in speech. Often the | | | | and severe strokes so remain watchful of yourself |
| person who has the numbness in the face and the | | | | and your loved ones for the early warning signs of a |
| speech slurring, wont even notice it and it has to be | | | | stroke. |