Stroke: ‘Subtle’ signs of a ‘silent’ stroke – ‘warning signs’ may not be ‘obvious’

Miriam tells Loose Women coming out could be linked to mother's stroke

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There are around 1.3 million stroke survivors in the UK, and your symptoms will depend on the part of your brain affected and the extent of the damage. The Stroke Association warns that the catastrophic event occurs every five minutes in the UK, but the sooner a person receives treatment for a stroke, the less damage is likely to happen.

The American Heart Association (AHA) says that silent strokes are undetected strokes.

It explains: “They occur when a blood vessel blockage in the brain causes cells to die, but no warning signs or symptoms are obvious.”

The organisation notes that experts estimate that 10 silent strokes occur for every stroke with detectable symptoms.

Nonetheless, it suggests that there are some very subtle signs of these strokes.

The AHA says: “Despite being called ‘silent’, these infarcts have been linked to subtle problems in a person’s movement and mental processing. They also are linked to future risk for stroke and dementia.”

The NHS says that the main stroke symptoms include changes to the face. Your face may have dropped on one side, the person may not be able to smile, or their mouth or eye may have drooped.

Signs may also occur on the arms – “the person may not be able to lift both arms and keep them there because of weakness or numbness in one arm”, says the NHS.

Their speech may be slurred or garbled, “or the person may not be able to talk at all despite appearing to be awake” and “they may also have problems understanding what you’re saying to them”, adds the health body.

The NHS states: “As different parts of your brain control different parts of your body, your symptoms will depend on the part of your brain affected and the extent of the damage.”

The health body adds: “If you have been diagnosed with a condition known to increase your risk of stroke, ensuring the condition is well controlled is also important for helping prevent strokes.”

It notes: “Even if the symptoms disappear while you’re waiting for the ambulance to arrive, an assessment in a hospital should still be done.

“You should be referred to see a specialist within 24 hours of the start of your symptoms.”

The Stroke Association warned that the catastrophic event occurs every five minutes in the UK.

The Mayo Clinic says that “knowing your stroke risk factors, following your doctor’s recommendations and adopting a healthy lifestyle” are the best steps you can take to prevent a stroke.

The health site adds that if you’ve had a stroke or a transient ischemic attack, there are measures which might help prevent another stroke.

“The follow-up care you receive in the hospital and afterward also may play a role,” it notes.

In general, healthy lifestyle recommendations include controlling high blood pressure, and healthy lifestyle changes and medications are often used to treat high blood pressure.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) says anxiety, depression, and high stress levels are all risk factors.

It adds: “Working long hours and not having much contact with friends, family, or others outside the home are also linked with higher risk of stroke.”

There are also a number of risk factors, including unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as eating unhealthy foods, not getting regular physical activity, drinking alcohol, and using illegal drugs such as cocaine.

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