When a person suffers from a stroke, immediate care is needed or else permanent damage can be sustained. If the stroke is not treated within the first hour or two, side effects can develop such as lingering speech and memory loss. It’s important to know when you or a person you love suffers a stroke, so treatment can begin as soon as possible.

Poor Vision
Oftentimes, people will blame sudden poor vision on aging or from being over tired. However, suddenly losing sight in one eye, blurriness, or seeing double are signs of a stroke. During a stroke, a blocked vessel will prevent oxygen from getting to the eye which will cause some of these symptoms. It is extremely rare to see two images from just having a long day.

Numbness
It’s not normal for one of your arms to fall asleep when you’re just casually sitting. This phenomena may happen after you wake up from being asleep thanks to a compressed nerve, but it will never happen out of the blue. When your arm goes numb or you instantly lose strength in it, you could be having a stroke. This is caused by a decrease in blood flow to your arteries that run through your spine to the back of your head.

Thinking & Speaking Clearly
Forgetting a word or name here and there is normal, but not being able to think or project words is far from it. During a stroke, cognitive abilities like thinking of things to say and that act of speaking are severely limited. The person suffering from the stroke won’t always be able to realize that they’re having one, so it’s up to family members, friends, caregivers, and anyone else around them to take notice and say something.

Suffering from a stroke can cause serious damage to a person’s health, so it’s best to know the signs now so you can act fast when one happens. For other useful tips and information, visit our blog! If you’re interested in learning more, or visiting The Arbors Assisted Living community, schedule a tour by contacting one of our five convenient locations:

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