The effects of stroke Patsy Westcott A look at the long and short-term effects of a stroke, plus the symptoms that may be a warning sign that a stroke has occurred.

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Symptoms and warning signs

Your brain

Short and long-term effects

The term stroke is apt because symptoms generally appear suddenly and without warning - 'at a stroke'.

The symptoms of a stroke and a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) are the same. They include:

• Sudden weakness, numbness or paralysis often down one side of the body, affecting the face, arm, leg or whole side
• Problems communicating, being unable to talk or understand what others are saying, or an alteration in speech, such as slurring words
• Sudden blurring, loss or disturbance of vision, especially in one eye
• Swallowing difficulties
• Dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden severe headache

Other less obvious symptoms include difficulties in perception or thinking, mood swings and personality change.

If a stroke is suspected, it's vital to get medical help quickly. The sooner treatment is given, the less damage there is likely to be to the brain tissue and the better the odds of a good recovery.

The brain is divided into two sides, or hemispheres, each controlling the opposite side of the body and different areas of activity.

The left hemisphere controls cognition (thinking) and language, plus movement and sensation on the right side of the body.

The right hemisphere controls functions involved in more visual-spatial skills, such as the ability to judge distances, size, form and where things are in space (which may affect skills such as map reading, for example), as well as movement and sensation on the left side of the body.