When most people think of strokes, it tends to be a very momentous occasion. One fraught with worry and trauma. However, there are cases in which a person suffers a stroke and is completely oblivious. Their symptoms are not easily identifiable in a lot of instances. Sometimes the victim just forgets it even happened. These are called silent strokes.
Although silent strokes have no outward symptoms, they are no joke and should not be taken lightly. These insidious strokes cause severe brain damage that is permanent. While one stroke may not be cause for such alarm, more than one silent stroke has serious consequences. Thinking and memory problems often accompany the victim as a result of more than one silent stroke. Silent strokes can also lead to more strokes.
If it's so difficult to pin point a silent stroke, is it even possible to diagnose one? Unfortunately, you won't know you're having a silent stroke unless you have your brain scanned and only if you've already had a silent stroke. Sometimes a doctor is able to diagnose without testing, however. Though, this is fairly uncommon. Prevention is the key.
Needless to say, preventing a silent stroke is a good idea, if at all possible. Since a person is more likely to have a silent stroke if they have high blood pressure and irregular heartbeat it id best to check with your doctor if you have these. Ways to combat and prevent a silent stroke, it would be good to maintain a healthy diet, quit smoking and exercise regularly to maintain a healthy heart. Also checking your blood pressure regularly as well as keeping an eye out on blood sugar helps a lot too. Another indicator is cholesterol levels, so making sure those are in safe ranges is important to look out for.
