Is it possible to have a stroke and not know it? My mother had 3 silent strokes when she was in a nursing home in Pittsburgh, PA. We, the family, thought she was in a steady decline of dementia, because she had lost a lot of weight for no apparent reason, and, she was still eating quite well despite her 88 years at that time. Only after some brain scans did the results come back definitively. So, even living in a skilled nursing care unit, being monitored round the clock, the staff missed something. When she was put in hospice care during that time, as we thought it was close to her passing away, it was finally revealed. She ended up going off of hospice care and back into regular care for 2 more years after the strokes.
Those of us not in an environment like that can more easily have a silent stroke or a mini stroke and not know it. The symptoms aren't as radical as a full blown stroke, with garbled speech and loss of functions on one side of the body. A silent stroke is most often caused by reduced blood flow in one of the smaller arteries that feed the brain. It can occur without noticeable symptoms if it affects a part of the brain that doesn’t control major movements or vital functions. A silent stroke may also produce symptoms you mistakenly attribute to something else, such as garden-variety clumsiness or random memory lapses. Similar to reducing the chance of a major stroke, addressing cardiovascular risk factors, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure, also lowers the risk of having silent strokes. A study of middle-aged people with no apparent illnesses or related brain conditions found that about 10% had brain damage from a silent stroke. The damage that happens is permanent, but therapy might help stimulate other parts of the brain so one regains abilities that may have weakened.
The healthy lifestyle I encourage us all to have is also a preventative measure for strokes and silent strokes. Most often, unless a brain scan imagery is done for any reason, it will go missed. As with all chronic diseases, we must be a partner with our bodies and health practitioners. It doesn't hurt to get a yearly checkup and full blood work. It is a good idea to know your family history of diseases, in order to see if there are any tendencies.
I invite you to live the five pillars of health. In my opinion, they are:
Be well,
KJ Landis
Those of us not in an environment like that can more easily have a silent stroke or a mini stroke and not know it. The symptoms aren't as radical as a full blown stroke, with garbled speech and loss of functions on one side of the body. A silent stroke is most often caused by reduced blood flow in one of the smaller arteries that feed the brain. It can occur without noticeable symptoms if it affects a part of the brain that doesn’t control major movements or vital functions. A silent stroke may also produce symptoms you mistakenly attribute to something else, such as garden-variety clumsiness or random memory lapses. Similar to reducing the chance of a major stroke, addressing cardiovascular risk factors, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure, also lowers the risk of having silent strokes. A study of middle-aged people with no apparent illnesses or related brain conditions found that about 10% had brain damage from a silent stroke. The damage that happens is permanent, but therapy might help stimulate other parts of the brain so one regains abilities that may have weakened.
The healthy lifestyle I encourage us all to have is also a preventative measure for strokes and silent strokes. Most often, unless a brain scan imagery is done for any reason, it will go missed. As with all chronic diseases, we must be a partner with our bodies and health practitioners. It doesn't hurt to get a yearly checkup and full blood work. It is a good idea to know your family history of diseases, in order to see if there are any tendencies.
I invite you to live the five pillars of health. In my opinion, they are:
- Healthy Movement
- Healthy Silence
- Healthy Fuel
- Healthy Hydration
- Healthy Relationships
Be well,
KJ Landis
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