Symptoms and Diagnosis of Stroke

Symptoms and Diagnosis of Stroke
Symptoms of stroke
Strokes occur quickly and, as such, symptoms of stroke often appear suddenly without warning.
The main symptoms of stroke are as follows:

Confusion, including trouble with speaking and understanding
Headache, possibly with altered consciousness or vomiting
Numbness of the face, arm or leg, particularly on one side of the body
Trouble with seeing, in one or both eyes
Trouble with walking, including dizziness and lack of co-ordination.

Strokes can lead to long-term problems. Depending on how quickly it is diagnosed and treated, the patient can experience temporary or permanent disabilities in the aftermath of a stroke. In addition to the persistence of the problems listed above, patients may also experience the following:

Bladder or bowel control problems
Depression
Pain in the hands and feet that gets worse with movement and temperature changes
Paralysis or weakness on one or both sides of the body
Trouble controlling or expressing emotions.
                          How to diagnose a stroke

Strokes happen fast and will often occur before an individual can be seen by a doctor for a proper diagnosis.

The acronym F.A.S.T. is a way to remember the signs of stroke, and can help identify the onset of stroke more quickly:

Face drooping: if the person tries to smile does one side of the face droop?
Arm weakness: if the person tries to raise both their arms does one arm drift downward?
Speech difficulty: if the person tries to repeat a simple phrase is their speech slurred or strange?

The NHS (UK) has published campaigns for FAST
NHS Choices (UK) are promoting a campaign for the FAST message throughout the UK

The faster a person with suspected stroke receives medical attention, the better their prognosis and the less likely they will be to experience lasting damage or death.

In order for a stroke patient to get the best diagnosis and treatment possible, they will need to be treated at a hospital within 3 hours of their symptoms first appearing.

Both ischemic strokes and hemorrhagic strokes require different kinds of treatment. Unfortunately, it is only possible to be sure of what type of stroke someone has had by giving them a brain scan in a hospital environment.

There are several different types of diagnostic tests that doctors can use in order to determine which type of stroke has occurred
CT scan of brain
CT scans of the brain are one of few ways to determine which type of stroke a person has had.

Physical examination: a doctor will ask about the patient's symptoms and medical history. They may check blood pressure, listen to the carotid arteries in the neck and examine the blood vessels at the back of the eyes, all to check for indications of clotting
Blood tests: a doctor may perform blood tests in order to find out how quickly the patient's blood clots, the levels of particular substances (including clotting factors) in the blood, and whether or not the patient has an infection
CT scan: a series of X-rays that can show hemorrhages, strokes, tumors and other conditions within the brain
MRI scan: radio waves and magnets create an image of the brain to detect damaged brain tissue
Carotid ultrasound: an ultrasound scan to check the blood flow of the carotid arteries and to see if there is any plaque present
Cerebral angiogram: dyes are injected into the brain's blood vessels to make them visible under X-ray, in order to give a detailed view of the brain and neck arteries
Echocardiogram: a detailed image of the heart is created to check for any sources of clots that could have traveled to the brain to cause a stroke.