A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted or reduced, depriving brain tissue of oxygen and nutrients. This can cause brain cells to die. A stroke is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment. Even a small stroke can cause permanent damage to the brain. But can you actually feel a small stroke happening? This article will examine the warning signs and symptoms of strokes, with a focus on what it might feel like to experience a minor stroke.
What are the main types of stroke?
There are two main types of stroke:
Ischemic stroke
This is the most common type of stroke, accounting for around 87% of cases. It occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery supplying blood to the brain. This cuts off blood flow and oxygen to brain cells.
Hemorrhagic stroke
This type accounts for around 13% of strokes. It happens when a weakened blood vessel ruptures and spills blood into or around the brain. The bleeding puts too much pressure on brain cells, damaging them.
What are the most common symptoms of a stroke?
The main symptoms of stroke include:
- Numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
- Confusion and trouble speaking or understanding speech
- Vision problems in one or both eyes
- Dizziness, trouble walking or loss of balance or coordination
- Severe headache with no known cause
Other possible signs are difficulty swallowing, slurred speech, and loss of consciousness. The onset of symptoms is usually sudden. Even a small stroke can lead to one or more of these symptoms.
What does a minor or small stroke feel like?
The symptoms of a minor stroke are similar to those of a major stroke, but they tend to be milder and temporary. A small stroke may cause:
- Tingling, numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg on one side of the body. This is often the earliest warning sign.
- Dizziness or briefly losing balance.
- Brief confusion or trouble understanding.
- Vision changes like blurred or double vision.
- Difficulty speaking or slurred speech.
- Sudden severe headache.
With a small stroke, these symptoms often resolve within minutes to hours. The effects are temporary because only a small area of the brain is affected. But even temporary stroke symptoms should not be ignored. They can signal a mini-stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA).
What is a transient ischemic attack or mini-stroke?
A transient ischemic attack (TIA) produces stroke-like symptoms that resolve within 24 hours. Also called a mini-stroke or warning stroke, a TIA results from a temporary clot that briefly blocks blood flow in an artery leading to the brain. It serves as a major warning sign of an impending major stroke.
About 1 in 3 people who experience a TIA will go on to have a stroke, many within days or weeks if the underlying cause is not treated. So even temporary stroke symptoms require urgent medical care.
What causes a small or minor stroke?
The causes are similar to those for major strokes:
Blood clots
A blood clot that temporarily blocks an artery can trigger a small stroke. Atrial fibrillation, heart valve problems, and carotid artery disease increase clot risk.
Narrowed arteries
Arteries narrowed by fatty deposits cause reduced blood flow. This raises the risk of tiny clots forming. High cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity and diabetes can lead to narrowed arteries.
Ruptured arteries
A weak arterial wall may rupture and bleed into the brain. High blood pressure is the main cause of artery abnormalities leading to rupture.
Who is at risk of a minor stroke?
Anyone can have a stroke, but these factors increase risk:
- Being over age 55
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Physical inactivity
- Family history of stroke
- Prior stroke or TIA
- Atrial fibrillation
People with one or more of these risk factors have a greater chance of experiencing a small stroke.
How is a minor stroke diagnosed?
Doctors use a combination of physical examination, medical history and tests like:
- Neurological exam – Checks vision, muscle strength, coordination and reflexes.
- Blood tests – Helps rule out other causes like infection or electrolyte imbalance.
- Brain imaging – CT or MRI scans reveal any brain tissue damage.
- Carotid ultrasound – Looks for narrowing in the carotid arteries that supply blood to the brain.
- Heart tests – EKG and echocardiogram check for atrial fibrillation, valve problems and heart function.
These help doctors determine if symptoms were caused by a small stroke, locate the source in the brain, and pinpoint the underlying cause.
Can a small stroke cause permanent damage?
Even a minor stroke can leave permanent effects if it damages a crucial part of the brain. It may only take a tiny clot in a vital artery to cause:
- Weakness or paralysis on one side.
- Vision loss.
- Difficulty speaking or understanding language.
- Problems with balance and coordination.
- Memory loss.
The brain controls everything we do, so damage to any area can cause lifelong impairments depending on the location. Prompt treatment is vital.
How are small strokes treated?
Anyone with signs of stroke needs emergency care, even if symptoms seem minor. Early treatment can help prevent disability. Treatment options may include:
- Clot-busting drugs – IV tPA drugs can dissolve clots blocking blood flow to the brain if given shortly after stroke onset.
- Endovascular procedures – Tiny clot-retrieval devices are threaded through arteries to remove clots.
- Anticoagulants – Blood thinners like heparin prevent new clots from forming.
- Antiplatelet agents – Eg. aspirin makes blood cells less sticky to hinder clot formation.
- Surgery – Clearing fatty deposits from the carotid artery may be recommended.
After an ischemic stroke, most patients take antiplatelet drugs like aspirin to reduce clot risk. Rehabilitation helps restore lost abilities.
How can you prevent a small stroke?
While some risk factors are beyond your control, like age and family history, many can be modified through lifestyle changes and medical management:
- Control high blood pressure – Maintain a healthy blood pressure through diet, exercise, medication and stress reduction.
- Lower cholesterol – Follow a heart-healthy diet, exercise regularly, quit smoking and take cholesterol medication as needed.
- Manage diabetes – Keep blood sugar tightly controlled through healthy eating, physical activity, oral medication or insulin as directed by your doctor.
- Quit smoking – Smoking damages blood vessels and increases risk of artery narrowing and clots.
- Exercise more – Regular physical activity strengthens the heart and improves circulation.
- Lose excess weight – Obesity strains the vascular system. Even moderate weight loss reduces risk.
- Limit alcohol – Heavy drinking increases blood pressure and stroke risk.
- Treat atrial fibrillation – Blood thinning medication can prevent clots leading to ischemic stroke.
By controlling risk factors, you may be able to reduce the likelihood of a small stroke occurring.
Conclusion
The symptoms of a minor stroke are similar to a larger stroke but tend to be temporary. However, even a small stroke indicates a serious underlying problem with blood vessels leading to the brain. This raises future stroke risk if left untreated. Anyone experiencing signs of stroke, whether mild or severe, needs prompt medical care to prevent permanent disability or a major stroke. While some risk factors are unmodifiable, controlling treatable ones with lifestyle changes and medication can help prevent first or recurrent strokes.