The Truth Behind Common Stroke Myths: What You Need to Know

Myth #1: Stroke Symptoms are Always Dramatic

You may expect all strokes to present the same symptoms: sudden numbness, collapse, an inability to speak or facial drooping. While those are all common signs of a stroke, they don’t necessarily occur in everyone. Sometimes, strokes develop slowly and present in subtler ways. It could start with slight dizziness, blurred vision, a loss of coordination or balance or memory lapses. Educating yourself about the various ways a stroke manifests can help you “BE FAST” and seek medical attention quickly.

Myth #2: Only Old People Have Strokes

While the risk increases with age, the truth behind that misconception is that strokes affect people of all ages. Of the 795,000 people who have a stroke every year, up to 15% of them are 18 to 45 years old. Risk factors like high blood pressure and obesity are increasing in younger populations. You may also be more predisposed to stroke regardless of your age if you have a family history of weight issues and cardiac conditions.

Myth #3: Mild Symptoms Don’t Require Medical Attention

Even if you only notice “mild” stroke symptoms such as vision issues, headache and numbness, it’s crucial to seek immediate medical attention. That’s also true if your symptoms go away after a time. You may be experiencing a transient ischemic attack (TIA). A TIA often occurs before a full stroke, and symptoms can last up to 24 hours.

Myth #4: Strokes Only Affect Your Brain

The centers of your brain regulate your bodily functions. Depending on the part of your brain affected by a stroke, you can experience physical, cognitive, emotional and communication difficulties. That could result in one-sided paralysis, swallowing complications, personality changes, memory loss, trouble speaking, anxiety and depression. The extent of the damage and how quickly you seek medical intervention will influence how much a stroke affects the rest of your body.

Myth #5: You Can Treat Strokes with Aspirin

It’s a common misconception that taking aspirin can lower your risk of stroke or stop one in its tracks. That belief likely stems from aspirin’s ability to break up blood clots during a heart attack. While that medication does prevent blood platelets from clumping together, it doesn’t dissolve clots or stop strokes. Taking it can be dangerous if your stroke is caused by a brain bleed, as aspirin can make it difficult for your body to slow the bleeding.

Myth #6: You Can’t Prevent Strokes

According to the American Stroke Association, 80% of strokes are preventable. You can manage your risk by adopting healthy behaviors like:

• Eating a balanced diet
• Limiting your consumption of trans and saturated fats and sodium
• Getting at least 150 minutes of exercise per week
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Monitoring your blood pressure and taking medication consistently (if applicable)
• Eliminating nicotine
• Reducing alcohol consumption
• Attending annual health check-ups
• Practicing stress management

Stroke Rehabilitation to Get You Back on Track

A stroke can significantly impact your life, but a full-scale rehabilitation plan can give you back control over your life. Our team of doctors, therapists and experts is here to make the process less scary and to ensure you never face your recovery alone. Our subacute services include cardiac rehab, therapy programs and nutrition support to help you feel safe and comfortable. Contact us to learn about our skilled nursing locations.