Stroke Signs and Symptoms Questions

1. Is thrombosis of a developmental venous anomaly considered a stroke?

   This is, unfortunately, an extremely tricky question with no clear cut answer. Venous clots in the brain are very rare, and developmental venous anomalies causing symptoms are also very rare. It is unlike an arterial stroke.
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2. Could a mini stroke be the cause of my dad's confusion?

   Confusion and hallucinations are unlikely to be caused by a stroke. Stroke are almost always associated with some type of specific neurologic loss of function - such as weakness or numbness of one side of the body, visual loss, language dysfunction, etc. Confusion and hallucinations are almost always caused by something called "encephalopathy"...
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3. Can a sudden memory flashback be a symptom of a TIA?

   I am bit concerned that what you are describing are actually small seizures, not TIAs. It is atypical for TIAs to recur so frequently, be associated with memory loss for the event, or to be associated with "flashbacks". It sounds more likely to me that you are having small seizures.
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4. Is arm pain and tingling a sign of an impending stroke?

   The symptoms you describe do not sound typical for a stroke. A stroke would not be expected to cause pain and soreness. Numbness may occur, whereas tingling typically does not. I think it is more likely that you have a pinched nerve in the neck region. An MRI of the cervical spine (neck region) would help detect this...
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5. Can stroke symptoms get worse several months after the stroke?

   In general, stroke symptoms are worst at onset and then slowly improve. A few exceptions to this are pain syndromes and "phantom limb" syndromes, which often start weeks or months after the stroke. Therefore, headaches could occur several months after the stroke. I have seen this on a handful of occasions...
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6. Are worsening symptoms post-stroke an emergency?

   You are absolutely right to be concerned, and it is unacceptable to simply look at this as a natural progression of his original stroke. Strokes are virtually always worst within the first 2 weeks. It would EXTREMELY uncommon for a stroke to worsen this far out, and therefore makes me think that something else is going on...
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7. Can you have post stroke symptoms even years afterwards?

   The general rule of thumb regarding stroke symptoms is that they improve slowly over time. Any new symptoms should prompt a workup for another disease.
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8. What's the difference between TIA and stroke?

   The main difference is that a TIA (what some people cause a ministroke) doesn't cause lasting damage. A TIA, which stands for transient ischemc attack, and a stroke are caused by the same problem: blood clots that lodge in the brain. But some people get lucky and recover quickly without any lasting damage...
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9. Why Must You Get to a Hospital Immediately After a Stroke?

   Studies have consistently shown that if patients receive treatment within an hour after their stroke symptoms begin -- the period known as the "golden hour" -- they're much more likely to make a full recovery. Patients whose strokes require treatment with the clot-busting drug tissue plasminogen activator...
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10. Why are my mother's hands swollen after stroke?

    Swelling following a stroke is very common, especially in the upper limbs. But it's important to do some investigation before you start addressing the problem.
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11. Isn't there a simple set of stroke symptoms I can remember?

    Yes, here is a list of stroke symptoms:
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12. Could the girdling sensation below my father's chest be the result of his stroke?

    This isn't a typical stroke symptom. Some unusual stroke symptoms affect the spinal cord instead of the brain, and that might cause this type of sensation. But more likely it's related to another medical issue. It could be as simple as an acid reflux problem, which might be relieved by propping him up on more pillows at night...
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13. Are strokes or Alzheimer's to blame for my mother's memory loss?

    Often, it is very difficult to tell if someone is having memory loss from multiple small strokes, or from Alzheimer's disease. A particular challenging part of the problem is that Alzheimer's can only be definitively diagnosed by looking at the brain under a microscope - in other words, in a post-mortem examination...
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14. Is it normal to have hallucinations after a stroke?

    In summary, yes, and yes.
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15. Am I doing the right thing by following the doctor's orders and not bringing my mom in when she has a TIA?

    Very sorry to hear about this situation.
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16. Could this occasional stabbing pain in my head be a precursor to stroke?

    This does not sound like a precursor to a stroke. It sounds more like an "ice pick headache". They usually respond well to medications.
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17. Could hearing a gunshot sound in head be a stroke symptom?

    This does not sound like a stroke symptom. Strokes would not be expected to cause the sensation of a loud noise - unless it was associated with a severe headache - which could indicate a sudden bleed in the head. I would suggest they be seen by their primary care physicians, and that imaging of the brain be considered...
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18. Can pain be a sign of impending stroke?

    Assuming this is an "ischemic" stroke - or one in which the stroke is caused by a blockage of blood flow - chronic pain is not typically a sign of an impending stroke, with a few exceptions. These would include 1) a tight blockage of an artery or 2) a torn artery. Both of these are very rare causes of a stroke...
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19. Does numbness in my back mean I'm about to have a stroke?

    Having arm, leg, and back numbness could mean you are having a stroke. A large determinant is whether one side of the body is affected, or the whole body. If the numbness is contained to one side, this could certainly mean you are having a stroke - in this case, most likely a small stroke in a part of the brain called the "thalamus"...
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20. Did I have a stroke?

    Anytime a sudden episode such as that occurs, the three things that come to my mind are 1) Stroke, 2) Seizure, 3) Migraine (not the same as a headache). Of those, the most dangerous would be stroke. At a minimum, you should check in with your doctor (soon) for a physical exam and likely some basic...
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