Am I Having a Stroke?
Do you know the common symptoms of stroke? Learn what they look and feel like so that you'll know when to get emergency help.
The window of opportunity to successfully treat a stroke is short  about three hours  so awareness of stroke symptoms is important. Maybe you think you can spot stroke symptoms in someone else, but would you know if a stroke was happening to you?
Stroke Symptoms: What Can Happen
Mark Alberts, MD, professor of neurology at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and director of the stroke program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, lists these common stroke signs:
• Trouble with speech or having difficulty talking  you may struggle with finding words, slur your speech, or find yourself unable to speak
• Trouble understanding what other people are saying to you
• Feeling weak or numb on one side of your body, especially if it strikes you suddenly  you can't move your face, one leg, or one hand
• Having trouble with coordination on one side of the body, especially when it happens all of a sudden
• Seeing double or having trouble focusing on objects or people
• An excruciating headache that comes out of nowhere
Headache is a stroke symptom that many people may not know about, but it's a serious warning sign. You may dismiss a headache as an everyday occurrence, but a stroke headache is one that hits you hard and fast, and with no apparent cause. And while migraine headaches have been linked to increased stroke risk, this doesn't feel like your average migraine either. Dr. Alberts describes it as the “sudden onset of the worst headache of your life,†and he says, “Call 911 and get to the hospital if you notice any of these symptoms.†Don't waste any time by contacting your doctor instead.
