Symptoms of Stroke

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The first sign of a cerebral haemorrhage is usually a sudden severe headache. This is quickly followed by a loss of function of part of the body such as paralysis down one side of the body, loss of vision to one side, fixed turning of the eyes to one side and perhaps a major epileptic-type seizure.

Other symptoms include:

weakness of one half of the body,
speech difficulties (asphasia),
lack of understanding,
temporary loss of vision,
impaired movement (hemiplegia).
dizziness (vertigo),
nausea,
vomiting,
headache,
loss of hearing,
loss of memory,
gradual changes of both personality and intellect,
difficulty in swallowing,
drowsiness,
loss of consciousness, and
epileptic seizures (fits).

Often consciousness is lost early and when the haemorrhage is large, this may never be regained. More than half of the people affected in this way die within a few hours or days. Those who recover consciousness often have some paralysis, which can be severe.

Smaller haemorrhages (and usually cerebral thromboses) cause less damage to the brain and there may be no loss of consciousness, just the signs of injury to the nervous system such as paralysis or impaired movement. This is almost always worst immediately after the stroke but does improve as swollen brain tissue (oedema) around the area of damage recovers. The swelling temporarily interferes with the operation of nerves and as it reduces, nerve function is restored.

Recovery also occurs, to some extent, as a result of reabsorption of the released blood. As the recovery processes happens, there is a slow, but usually substantial improvement and, unless further haemorrhages occur, the end result may be good. However, there may be some permanent disability.