During a stroke, blood cells in the brain are permanently damaged when they are deprived of blood supply and oxygen. Symptoms seen after a stroke depend upon where in the brain the damage occurred, whether the stroke was small or major and whether treatment was obtained quickly enough to prevent widespread cell damage. Below are some of the symptoms that may occur after having a stroke.
Cognitive Changes and Memory Loss
After having a stroke, individuals may notice they are having trouble thinking. They may have a hard time organizing their thoughts, solving problems or planning ahead. Memory problems are also possible. Among those with damage to the left hemisphere of the brain, short-term memory loss is common so they may need to be reminded of things repeatedly. Among those with right hemisphere brain damage, the chronology of memories becomes confusing such that they can't recall whether an event happened this morning or last week. Another cognitive symptom sometimes seen is perseveration, a condition in which the stroke survivor cannot stop obsessively thinking or talking about a particular item or event.
Another symptom sometimes seen is neglect, a condition common among right hemisphere damaged patients in which they ignore things on one side of the body. They may fail to pay attention to anything from the paralyzed limbs on one side of the body to food on one side of the plate.
Emotional and Personality Changes
Some stroke survivors can experience symptoms of apathy or emotional blunting in that they do not seem to show much emotional reaction to anything. They may appear depressed to others. Alternatively, others recovering from a stroke may demonstrate a lack of emotional control. They may laugh, cry or have an angry outburst suddenly and without reason, then just as suddenly stop.
Impulsivity is another common symptom after having a stroke. Unable to think through events before taking action, stroke survivors may sometimes say inappropriate things or take actions that can result in self-injury. They may, for example, get up from a wheelchair too quickly without holding onto anything or locking the wheels first, resulting in a fall.
Physical Problems
Physical symptoms that may occur after having a stroke include complete or partial paralysis, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, difficulties with balance and coordination (including hand-eye coordination), a predisposition to fall and difficulty judging distances. Those who suffered damage to the brain stem may also experience difficulty swallowing or, worse, remain in a coma.
Speech and Vision Problems
Communication may be impaired after a stroke. It is common to see aphasia--a disorder in which the person cannot understand, process or speak language. After a stroke, individuals may have a hard time reading people and interpreting body language and other subtle signs of communication. They may also struggle with problems of concentration and attention, which can make it difficult to stay focused on conversation.
Double vision may also occur if the stroke caused permanent brain stem damage.
