Warning Signs of a Stroke
A stroke is a brain attack. Call 911 immediately.
During a stroke, blood stops flowing to part of the brain. This can damage areas that control other parts of your body. Damage can begin within minutes and quick treatment can help increase the chances of a full and meaningful recovery. Call 911 and get help right away if any of these symptoms come on suddenly, even if the symptoms don’t last.
Learn to recognize the warning signs of a stroke.
Knowing the symptoms of stroke can make all the difference in saving a life:
- Weakness. You may feel a sudden weakness, tingling, or loss of feeling on one side of your face or body including your arm or leg
- Vision Problems. You may have sudden double vision or trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Speech Problems. You may have sudden trouble talking, slurred speech, or problems understanding others.
- Headache. You may have a sudden, severe headache.
- Movement problems. You may have sudden trouble walking, dizziness, a feeling of spinning, a loss of balance, a feeling of falling, or blackouts
- Seizure. You may also have a seizure with a large or hemorrhagic stroke.
B.E.F.A.S.T
An easy way to remember the signs and symptoms of stroke is to B.E.F.A.S.T!
- B = Balance: Does the person complain of sudden onset unsteadiness, dizziness or difficulty walking?
- E = Eyes: Does the person complain of narrowing vision, blurred vision, seeing dark or bright spots?
- F = Face: Ask the person to smile and show their teeth. Is the smile even or lop-sided? Is their face drooping?
- A = Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms and hold them straight out. Does one arm drift downward?
- S = Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence such as “You know how” or “Baseball bat”. Do the words sound slurred or garbled? Are they unable to speak or follow direction?
- T = Time: Time is of the essence. Call 911. Also knowing the time when the person was last seen “normal” will help determine the course of treatment.
Diagnosing and Treating a Stroke
When diagnosing a stroke, a CT scan is usually the first test performed upon arrival to the hospital. A CT scan will show whether the stroke is caused by a blocked artery or by a leaking or ruptured artery
For a stroke caused by a clot or blockage (ischemic), doctors might use:
- A clot-dissolving medicine called tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) can be given through a person’s vein. Tissue plasminogen activator needs to begin within 3 hours of the first stroke symptom. That is why it is critical to identify a stroke and seek treatment right away.
- Mechanical thrombectomy can be used for up to 24 hours in some cases. In this procedure, a catheter is guided through the patient’s leg to the site of the clot. The clot can then be removed with a retriever and/or suction. Again, the sooner the patient reaches the hospital, the more brain cells can be saved.
Treatment for a stroke caused by bleeding into the brain (hemorrhagic) may include these options:
- Efforts to control bleeding, reduce pressure in the brain and stabilize vital signs, especially blood pressure
- Endovascular coiling of a ruptured aneurysm, in which a catheter is guided to the site of the ruptured aneurysm, where small coils can be inserted to block the aneurysm and stop bleeding
- Surgery to repair a ruptured aneurysm or to remove the blood that has built up inside the brain to lower pressure inside the head
Our Stroke Centers
In Missouri, emergency medical services are mandated to take stroke patients to a center designated by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services as having the capability to treat strokes. CoxHealth has four designated stroke centers:
- Cox Medical Center South is a Level 1 Stroke Center
- Cox Medical Center Branson is a Level 3 Stroke Center
- Cox Monett is Level is a Level 3 Stroke Center
- Cox Barton County Hospital is a level 3 Stroke Center
Learn more about our Stroke Centers.