Stroke - Causes, Signs & Symptoms - British Heart Foundation

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Stroke

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Conditions Stroke

A stroke is a medical emergency. It happens when the blood flow to part of your brain is disrupted. This can cause your brain cells to become damaged or die. If you think you or anyone else may be having a stroke, call 999 immediately.

Published: 1 February 2024 Next review: 1 February 2027 Published: 1 February 2024 Next review: 1 February 2027

What is a stroke?

While there are different types of stroke and different ways strokes can happen, all types of strokes can disrupt the blood flow to your brain. If the blood flow to the brain is interrupted, brain cells can get damaged because they are not getting the oxygen and nutrients they need.

A stroke can affect you in different ways, depending on which part of the brain has had the disrupted blood supply. This can affect your speech, as well as the way you think and move.

Signs of a stroke

Act F.A.S.T to recognise the signs:

Facial weakness – can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped?
Arm weakness – can the person raise both arms?
Speech problems – can the person speak clearly and can they understand what you're saying?
Time – it's time to call 999 immediately if you see any of these symptoms.

It’s called F.A.S.T because timing is important if you're having a stroke. You could lose millions of nerve cells for every minute without treatment. The longer you wait, the less chance of speech, movement and abilities coming back to what they were. Acting F.A.S.T really is lifesaving.

Types of stroke

Ischaemic strokes (sometimes called ‘blood clot strokes’) happen when an artery supplying blood to your brain is blocked by a blood clot (gel-like clumps of blood).
Haemorrhagic strokes (sometimes called ‘brain bleed strokes’) happen when a blood vessel ruptures (or bursts), causing a bleed in the brain. This means less blood gets to the surrounding brain cells, causing them to die.
Mini-strokes, or transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs), happen when there’s an interruption in blood flow to part of the brain for a short time causing symptoms, such as temporary speech loss. TIA’s usually resolve after a few seconds or minutes.

When to get help

It's essential to dial 999 if you have symptoms that could be a stroke. Do not delay because you think hospitals are too busy – the NHS still has systems in place to treat people who need urgent stroke treatment. If you delay, you're more likely to suffer serious damage, need intensive care and spend longer in hospital.

Are you at risk of having a stroke?

Factors that increase your risk (chance) of having a stroke include:

If you’ve previously had a stroke or heart attack
If you’re aged over 55
If a close relative (parent, grandparent, brother or sister) has had a stroke
If you have high blood pressure
If you have high cholesterol levels
If you have diabetes
If you have a type of irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation (AF) – if you have AF, the top chambers of your heart (your atria) do not pump blood through your heart as well as they should. If the chambers are not emptied properly, this can lead to a blood clot forming within the chamber. If this happens, there’s a risk that it can travel to your brain and block the blood flow.

For more information on risk factors and cause of stroke, visit the NHS webpage on strokes.

Reducing the risk of stroke

There are many things you can do to help lower your chances of a stroke:

eat healthily
be physically active
keep to a healthy weight and lose weight if necessary
do not smoke
cut down on alcohol
have regular check-ups to pick up risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes – you can have a regular check up with your GP if you are aged over 40. If you think you may be more at risk because of your family background and you are aged below 40, talk to your GP about what other checks may be available to you
control high blood pressure
reduce high cholesterol
control blood sugar levels (if you have diabetes).

Keep atrial fibrillation under control (if you have the condition).

How is a stroke treated in hospital?

Once you get to hospital, you’ll be taken for tests. If you’ve had a stroke, depending on how serious it is and the type of stroke, you may be given medication or surgery.

The amount of time you stay in hospital depends on the type and how serious your stroke is, your treatment, your general health and how quickly you recover.

When you’re ready to leave hospital, your stroke team will work with you and your family to arrange the support you need to continue recovering at home. Let them know if you want them to repeat anything – it can be hard sometimes to take everything in.

The Stroke Association has detailed information on treatments you may be given in hospital for stroke and planning your return and recovery at home.

It’s normal to feel anxious, angry and upset after having a stroke. It’s important to talk about your feelings with your partner, a friend, relative or healthcare professional.

Find out about more sources of information and emotional support

What will my recovery from stroke be like?

A stroke affects people in different ways. Some people may see the most improvement in the first few weeks while they're still in hospital. For others it can take months or sometimes years.

Your rehabilitation will begin in hospital where specialists, such as nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists will discuss a plan with you. The aim of rehabilitation is to help return you as close as possible to how you were before the stroke. They can help you to:

arrange any adjustments you may need to your home
organise any ongoing treatment you might need such as physiotherapy
offer support for family and carers.

If you’ve had a stroke, you may be at risk of developing vascular dementia. This happens when a stroke damages part of your brain, leading to symptoms such as concentration problems and personality changes. If you have any concerns, you should speak to your GP.

Stroke is sudden and can be lifechanging for the person who’s had the stroke and their loved ones, but many people continue to improve and there is help and support available.

Heart Helpline and other support

Order our stroke quick guide.
Chat online, email or call our expert cardiac nurses on our Heart Helpline.
Contact the Stroke Association on 0303 3033 100.
Speak to others who have had a stroke in our HealthUnlocked online community.
Chat with your GP about getting talking therapy, or, if you’re in England, you can refer yourself for therapy through Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT).
Visit the NHS Choices Stroke website.
Sign up to our Heart Matters magazine and email newsletter packed with health and recovery tips.

Caring for someone who’s had a stroke

You may be looking after someone because they’ve had a stroke. The support they’ll need depends on the impact of the stroke and their recovery. If you're a carer, it’s just as important to look after your own health and wellbeing. You might need practical or emotional support too.

Read more about caring for someone with heart and circulatory disease.
Contact the Carers Direct Helpline on 0300 123 1053.
Visit the Carers Trust website or call on 0300 772 9600.
Contact Carers UK on 0808 808 7777.

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Support To find out more, or to support British Heart Foundation’s work, please visit www.bhf.org.uk. You can speak to one of our cardiac nurses by calling our helpline on 0808 802 1234 (freephone), Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. For general customer service enquiries, please call 0300 330 3322, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. British Heart Foundation is a registered Charity No. 225971. Registered as a Company limited by guarantee in England & Wales No. 699547. Registered office at Greater London House, 180 Hampstead Road, London NW1 7AW. Registered as a Charity in Scotland No. SC039426

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