Read our You may have slight memory problems or a little difficulty getting around. Would you know the symptoms of a stroke if it were to strike?
A mini-stroke describes a Unlike a silent stroke, a TIA doesn't cause notable harm to the brain. Claudia Chaves, MD, is board-certified in cerebrovascular disease and neurology with a subspecialty certification in vascular neurology. More often than not, if you have been able to manage well after a small stroke, you are more likely to have a healthy, fit body and brain. The brain is an extremely complex organ that controls various body functions. Yes. Ⓒ 2020 About, Inc. (Dotdash) — All rights reserved Dr. Moawad regularly writes and edits health and career content for medical books and publications. When we think of strokes, we often think of symptoms like slurred speech, numbness, or loss of movement in the face or body. Being told that you have had a previous silent stroke certainty sounds alarming, but, in truth, it is not a cause for alarm.
A doctor may be able to see signs of silent strokes without conducting any testing.Like most regular strokes, silent strokes are caused by blood clots in the brain that do not dissolve.If you have any of these symptoms, call your doctor, even if it goes away after a few minutes.
Having had a silent stroke generally indicates that you have one or more of the risk factors of stroke. Like regular ischemic strokes, silent strokes happen when the blood supply gets cut off to a small area in the brain, damaging the brain cells. Also, older strokes have certain characteristic appearances caused by calcification (calcium deposits) and atrophy (tissue death). For example, the type of silent stroke that causes white spots in the internal part of the brain, known as white matter hyperintensities, is “a phenomenon that occurs with age, kind of like getting wrinkles or getting grey hair,” Smith said. Therefore, if you experience any signs and symptoms of strokes, go to the doctor and get medical attention immediately. Usually, a silent stroke is noticed unexpectedly on a brain CT or brain MRI.
One of the best strategies for catching silent strokes is to become familiar with the risk factors that make strokes of all kinds more likely to occur.
Stroke is the second leading cause of disability in the world.
Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life.Squarzoni P, Tamashiro-Duran JH, Duran FLS, et al. Silent strokes generally only affect a small area of the brain, but the damage is cumulative.
If your doctor has told you that you have had previous silent strokes, they will recommend screening tests to evaluate your risk factors. In fact, many patients can be completely caught off guard and are shocked to learn that they have been living with an "old stroke" that did not cause any handicap at all, which is referred to as a silent stroke. A silent stroke is not the same as a mini-stroke. Although the damage will show up on an MRI or CT scan, it's too small to produce any obvious symptoms."
Read our Although it may not be a common term, silent stroke is a leading cause of vascular dementia that impacts about one-third of those over the age of 70.
If you found out that you have had silent strokes in the emergency room, or from someone other than your regular doctor, you need to let your doctor know. Recent strokes will have certain features that you will not see if the stroke occurred in the past, such as swelling, inflammation, blood clots, and bleeding. Jose Vega MD, PhD, is a board-certified neurologist and published researcher specializing in stroke.