Stroke or TIA
A stroke happens when the blood supply to part of your brain is cut off. Without blood, brain cells are damaged or destroyed.
Because your brain controls your body, damage to the brain will affect functions such as speech and movement of your arms or legs. A stroke can also affect how you think, learn, feel, remember and communicate.
What is a TIA?
With a Transient Ischaemic Attack or TIA, the symptoms are very similar to a stroke (such as weakness on one side of the body, visual disturbance and slurred speech) but they are temporary. The affected part of the brain is without oxygen for just a few minutes and the symptoms last just a few minutes or hours and are gone completely within 24 hours. A TIA, also known as a mini-stroke, is a sign that part of the brain is not getting enough blood and that there is a risk of a more serious stroke in the future. A TIA should be treated as an emergency and the person affected should be seen urgently by a GP or taken to an Accident and Emergency Department if this is not possible.
How do I know if I have had a stroke?
A stroke is sudden and the effects on the body are immediate. The first signs are:
- numbness, weakness or paralysis on one side of the body (signs of this may be a drooping arm, leg or lower eyelid, or a dribbling mouth)
- slurred speech or difficulty finding words or understanding speech
- sudden blurred vision or loss of sight
- confusion or unsteadiness
- a severe headache
Use the FAST test to help you recognise whether someone has had a stroke or TIA. These are:
- Facial weakness: can the person smile?Has their mouth or an eye drooped?
- Arm weakness: can the person raise both arms?
- Speech problems: can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?
- Time to call 999
What causes a stroke?
A stroke can happen with no obvious cause, to people of any age, but there are risk factors which make it more likely to happen. The two major causes of this are:
- narrowing, ‘furring’, hardening or weakening of blood vessels (arteries) or
- thickening of the blood
You most likely to have a stroke if you are at risk of these, such as if you are over 60 or have high blood pressure (hypertension) or diabetes.
Lifestyle factors such as diet, drinking alcohol, smoking and how active you are can also affect your risk. If you make steps to change your risk factors this will lower your risk of having a stroke.
There are some risk factors that you can’t control. In people aged under 75, more men have strokes than women. Strokes are more common in people over 55, and the risk goes up as you get older. Having a close relative who has had a stroke increases your risk, and people from Asian, African and African-Caribbean backgrounds are at greater risk of a stroke.
How can Birmingham OwnHealth help me if I’ve had a stroke?
With the support of your Care Manager, you can:
- Know when to call for help
- Learn about your stroke and set goals
- Take your stroke medications correctly
- Get the tests and services you need
- Take steps to control your stroke risk factors
- Make lifestyle changes to feel better
- Learn ways to solve problems
- Keep your appointments
Useful links
- Stroke Association The only UK wide charity solely concerned with combating stroke in people of all ages, including advice and details of local groups.
- Birmingham LINk
Birmingham Local Involvement Network (LINk) helps local people and organisations to speak with one voice, influencing key decision makers in improving health and social care service provision across the city. You can support Birmingham LINk by becoming an active member and letting them know about the issues affecting your community.
