is it possible to have a small stroke and not know it , i still have to be tested?

Question

i believe i had one , but need a cat scan to verify but the forgetfull and the headaches but the slurred speech is what bothers me the most i would appreciate any who has one to let me the what to expect and how to deal with it , maybe it,s nothing but i would like to know for sure

Answer 1

HI
It is me Mohammad salim khan with your question,is it possible to have a small stroke and not know it?
I hope you will like my answer.
Yes, you can have a stroke and not know it. A stroke's effects can be undetectable if the stroke is small or if the tissue damaged does not serve a critical function. Evidence of the stroke would show on a CT scan or an MRI of the brain, but it might not produce symptoms.

But you really may be asking if a stroke can occur without your realizing, at the time, that it's happening – such as when you are asleep or when the effects are minor.

Let's look at those two scenarios separately.

Generally, minor stroke symptoms won't rouse you from sleep. But when people do wake up after a stroke, they notice something is amiss. The symptoms depend on both the severity of the stroke and the region of the brain it damaged. Perhaps one leg does not seem to work well, or an arm feels weak. People may have double vision or a partial or, rarely, complete loss of their field of vision. They may feel dizzy or unsteady walking down the hall. They may seem confused or unable to retrieve the words they want to say, or their speech may be slurred.

A time for action
If you happen to wake during the night and suspect a stroke, do not turn over and go back to sleep, hoping all will be fine in the morning. Call 9-1-1. Don't worry about disturbing your physician or causing a ruckus with the family or in the neighborhood. Dedicated professionals are waiting for your call. A rapid response to stroke symptoms is critical. Time is brain!

Prompt evaluation, determination of the type of stroke and proper treatment can make the difference between recovery and long-term disability. The first three hours after a stroke are a critical opportunity for beginning treatment with tPA, our most-effective treatment for ischemic strokes. "Ischemic" means the stroke was caused by a clot clogging a blood vessel in – or leading to – the brain. About 80 percent of all strokes are ischemic.

tPA, which is delivered intravenously, dissolves the clot, re-opening the blood vessel. Administering it as early as possible within the first three hours after symptom onset maximizes the chances for dissolving the clot and decreases the chances of disability from stroke. The drug carries the risk of causing bleeding in the brain after a stroke, but it does not increase the risk of death. Hospitals carefully evaluate patients before giving tPA; only 3 to 5 percent of ischemic stroke patients nationally receive it. The main reason for not receiving this treatment is arriving at the ER too late, beyond the three-hour time window. Other reasons for non-treatment include mild or spontaneously improving symptoms.

Timing is everything
As you can imagine, the timing issue poses a problem if the stroke occurs when a person is asleep. For safety's sake, we define the stroke onset time as the time the patient was last known to be “normal” (without new stroke symptoms).

So, if you went to bed at 11 p.m. and woke up at 7 a.m. with a problem, we say the stroke happened at 11 p.m. If you went to bed at 11 p.m., got up for a drink of water at 5 a.m. without a problem, and woke up at 7 a.m. with a problem, we say the stroke happened at 5 a.m.

Whatever the timeframe, the same advice holds true: Call 9-1-1 for immediate medical care. If intravenous tPA is not appropriate – either because of the timing or the type of stroke – we can try other treatment strategies, including devices that can extract clots. Our goal is to restore the flow of blood to try to limit the damage.

Mild stroke is a warning
Your question about a mild stroke is a good one. Let's say you have a mild stroke or temporary symptoms caused by transient ischemic attack (TIA), often called a "mini-stroke." A TIA occurs when the blood supply to the brain is temporarily interrupted or cut off, resulting in a sudden, brief decrease in brain function. Symptoms can be subtle and fleeting: They typically last less than an hour.

The advice for these milder events is the same: Call 9-1-1, right away, for urgent evaluation and care.

If you have a mild stroke or TIA, do not assume that you have dodged the bullet. In fact, a TIA is a warning that you are at high risk for a full-blown stroke, which could occur anywhere from minutes or hours to days later. A recent study showed that 5 percent of patients with TIAs will have a stroke within 48 hours. A TIA requires urgent medical attention.

If you have a stroke or TIA, work with your health care provider to determine whether you have risk factors that need to be addressed. Factors that may increase your risk of stroke include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, more-than-moderate drinking, and any use of certain street drugs, such as cocaine or methamphetamine. To reduce your risks, you might take antiplatelet medications (aspirin, for example, or blood thinners if prescribed by your physician), stop using tobacco and street drugs, begin an exercise program and work toward a healthy weight.

In addition to memorizing the warning signs of stroke yourself, make sure that you have allies looking out for you by informing your family, your co-workers, your neighbors and your friends about the warning signs and the importance of immediately calling 9-1-1 if they suspect a stroke.

Signs of stroke
We like to review the signs of stroke at every opportunity. (Notice that they all begin with the word "sudden." That's because strokes occur when blood flow to the brain is interrupted suddenly, whether by a clot blocking an artery or by a rupture in an artery.) If you experience even one of these symptoms, call 9-1-1, pronto:

Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
Sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding
Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
Sudden severe headache, with no known cause
While it is possible that another medical condition is causing your symptoms, don't bet your life on it. Get an immediate medical evaluation.

Answer 2

It it possible to have small strokes and think nothing of it. Sometimes they are referred as TIA's or Transischemic Attacks. If you have slurred speech, this is a cardnial sign of a true stroke. And statistics show that if you have had one stroke you are at greater risk of having another if you do not have it treated, and it can be life threatning. This is considered a true emergency. I would seek medical attention today. Anyone presenting to an ER with slurred speech will be taken immediately back for treatment (no waiting). They will do the head CT scan, as well as EKG, and cardiac testing to look for possible causes. Afterwards, they will help you get the rehab/speech therapy you need to assist you with getting your speech back to normal, as well as help you prevent future strokes.

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Answer 3

Yes it is. 5 years ago my grandmother had a major stroke. When they did the tests on her they discovered she had a few small strokes about a month or two earlier.
You're doing the absolute right thing getting it checked out as this is definitely a warning sign.

Answer 4

Yes it is possible. You can get transient ischaemic attack (TIA) when blood vessel to part of your brain is partially blocked and you'll only be affected transiently especially when your brain needs more blood supply than usual. Usually people with TIAs get difficulty finding words when they get stressed out.

It's also possible to get minor stroke that only affects part of your brain that does not produce obvious symptoms (eg: Speech difficulty, numbness or muscle weakness).

If you get slurred speech and headache, it's good to get a check up. Headache can be caused by raised intercranial pressure (i.e pressure build up in your skull) due to some tumour that occupy the limited space within the skull. Tumour can also impinge nerves that can cause stroke like symptoms.

Answer 5

YES. I just read a news letter about strokes It had a story of about a couple who had went to a family picnic the woman felt a little sick she did not think much of it.Hours later they went home husband called a family member his wife had had a stroke and died.Please go to the doctor!Also slurred speech is one of many sighns of a stroke.

Answer 6

yes it is possible to have a stroke and not be aware of it, depending on the type of stroke and of course the severity.
There are basically two kinds of stroke, one caused by a clot somewhere in the brain, and one caused by bleeding in the brain due to a broken blood vessel. Once the type of stroke is identified, the doctor will treat accordingly if he is able.

Answer 7

Yes, it is possible. My mother had what the doctors called a mini stroke and didn't realize it til she went to the hospital. She had the slurred speech too, but it went away. She was told to take an aspirin a day and that's it. But every case is different so get your docs advice.Good Luck!

Answer 8

Ischemic stroke is focal brain infarction that produces sudden neurologic deficits persisting > 1 h. Common causes are (in order of incidence) nonthrombotic occlusion of small, deep cortical arteries (lacunar infarction); embolism due to cardiac sources; arterial thrombosis with hemodynamic disturbance leading to decrease of cerebral blood flow; and artery-to-artery embolism. Diagnosis is clinical, but CT or MRI is done to confirm presence and extent of stroke. Thrombolytic therapy may be useful acutely in certain patients. Depending on the cause of stroke, carotid endarterectomy, antiplatelet drugs, or warfarin may help reduce risk of subsequent strokes.
A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is focal brain ischemia producing sudden neurologic deficits that last < 1 h. Diagnosis is clinical. Carotid endarterectomy, antiplatelet drugs, and warfarin decrease risk of stroke after certain types of TIA.
Treatment of recent TIA (within the prior 48 hours) usually requires admission to the hospital for evaluation of the specific cause and determination of long-term treatment. Underlying disorders should be treated appropriately, including such disorders as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, arteritis, and blood disorders.
Please see the web pages for more details on Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)

Answer 9

yes it is..just like you can have a mild heart attack and not know it... if you think you had a stoke you should go to the doctor a.s.a.p.....if not it could lead to further complications in the future

Answer 10

yes