The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emphasized the need for early action in impending stroke. That is because people who arrive at the hospital within the first three hours of showing symptoms experience less disability three months following the stroke. That is compared to those who received delayed care.
So, to better take care of patients or loved ones, it’s best to understand the telltale signs that a stroke is about to happen, so proactive measures can be taken immediately.
1. Confusion
Your loved one may exhibit signs of confusion and be unable to understand what is happening. They may be unable to think clearly and display a puzzled look on their face. Once they show these signs and have a hard time focusing or having difficulty making decisions, you should get medical help immediately.
2. Severe Headache
Your loved one may suddenly experience a severe headache in the head, neck, or scalp. That typically happens without any known cause and even to people without a personal history of headaches.
When observing people with a severe headache, you may notice that they keep touching their heads or rubbing their temples and being very sensitive to light.
3. Numbness
The person you’re looking after may suddenly feel numbness in the face or lose feeling in their hands, arms, legs, feet, or other extremities. That numbness may also feel like a tingling sensation. It is common for stroke to cause numbness on just one side of the body while the other remains fully functional.
Someone feeling numbness may continually touch, massage, or shake areas where they feel numb.
4. Loss of Balance
Your loved one or patient may suddenly have difficulty standing, walking, or moving at all. They may look as if they are tripping over nothing or suddenly become very clumsy. They may also begin wobbling around or holding onto stationary objects just to stay upright.
5. Difficulty Understanding
Similar to confusion, people about to have a stroke have a very difficult time understanding speech, numbers, or language. They may exhibit this by wrinkling their eyebrows, talking less, shaking their head no, or feeling unsteady.
6. Incoherent Speech
Your loved one may suddenly be unable to speak, have slurred or incoherent speech, or even misuse words. They may show this sign by not understanding other people’s sentences or having difficulty conversing with anyone.
7. Weakness
Your loved one may suddenly experience weakness in the face, leg, or arm. You may notice that their face looks droopy, that they constantly want to lay or sit down, or that they have difficulty doing simple tasks.
Conclusion
When your loved one or patient exhibits any or a combination of these signs, it’s best to contact a medical professional or go to the hospital immediately. People who receive immediate care as soon as they show signs of a stroke about to happen have better chances of having less disability than those whose conditions haven’t been attended to instantly. Monitoring for the progression of signs is also an utmost priority.
Gateway Home Health and Hospice provides high-quality home health care in Colorado Springs, CO. Our highly trained clinicians and therapists always strive to exceed the expectations of our patients, families, caregivers, and physicians. If you are in need of a home care nurse, get in touch with us! We’ll help you get suited immediately.