Stroke Symptoms

Signs of a Stroke

Warning signs you may experience include:

• Numbness, weakness or paralysis of the face, arm or leg — especially on one side of the body
• Sudden blurry or decreased vision in one or both eyes
• Difficulty speaking or understanding simple statements
• Dizziness, loss of balance or loss of coordination
• Sudden and severe headache with no apparent cause

If you or someone you know shows signs of a stroke, call 911 immediately.

Symptoms of a Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Symptoms may appear similar to regular stroke symptoms, with variations, including: 

• Seizures
• Headache, especially on one side of the head
• Muscle weakness
• Loss of movement on one side of the body
• Lightheadedness
• Unable to perform movements, but not due to loss of movement
• Loss of coordination, especially when walking
• Sudden, severe back pain, stiff neck or shoulder pain
• Difficulty speaking or understanding language
• Loss of senses
• Visual problems
• Memory loss
• Difficulty thinking or mental confusion
• Hallucinations
• Brief loss of consciousness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Slurred speech or other speech disturbance

How We Diagnose Stroke

A doctor will look for muscle weakness, visual and speech problems, and movement difficulty.

Images may be taken of your bodily structures:

• CT scan
• MRI scan
• Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA)
• CT angiogram (CTA)
• Doppler ultrasound

En español: Vea aquí los síntomas de un derrame cerebral.