What is a stroke?

A stroke or "brain attack" occurs when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel or artery, or when a blood vessel breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain. When a stroke occurs, it kills brain cells in the immediate area. Doctors call this area of dead cells an infarct. These cells usually die within minutes to a few hours after the stroke starts.  A stroke is often referred to as a CVA (cerebral vascular accident) or a TIA (transient ischemic attack).

What are the warning signs?

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause

Speech and language therapist should be consulted when a stroke patient has difficulty swallowing, speaking, using language, or has decreased cognitive abilities (i.e. memory, problem solving, etc.).

www.stroke.org

www.strokeassociation.org

What is a head injury?

A head injury is a trauma to the head. The signs and symptoms of a head injury may occur immediately or develop slowly over several hours.  Head injuries may cause brain damage that affects cognitive functions such as memory, speech, and language.  A speech and language therapist should be contacted to provide therapeutic assistance.

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