What Does a Stroke Feel Like? Signs and Symptoms

Imagine a hose you use to water your garden –  what happens when you step on it or it becomes clogged? Water stops flowing, right? Something similar happens in a stroke.

A stroke happens when blood flow to a part of the brain is cut off temporarily or permanently, thereby producing symptoms like weakness and numbness in different areas of the body. This happens when a clot blocks a vessel, often an artery, or when the vessel bursts or ruptures.

Stroke is a medical emergency that often leads to serious life-long disabilities (1). According to a report by the American Heart Association, over 795,000 people develop a stroke yearly. Research also shows that stroke is the fifth leading cause of death among adults in the United States of America (2) and the second leading cause globally.

Despite the overwhelming numbers, only a few people know what a stroke feels like, how to identify one, and what to do when they experience one.

This article explores the signs of stroke, the risk factors, how to prevent one, and what to expect after a stroke.

Key Takeaways

• A stroke is a medical emergency that occurs when the blood supply to the brain is temporarily or permanently cut off.
• Research shows that stroke is one of the top 5 leading causes of death among adults in the United States and the 2nd leading cause of death globally.
• Certain medical conditions, lifestyle, or behaviors may increase your risk of developing a stroke.
• Identifying the signs of stroke early is key for improved survival and reduced complications and disabilities.

Table of Contents

Symptoms and Signs of a Stroke: What Does it Feel Like to Have a Stroke?

Risk Factors for a Stroke

Medical Conditions

Lifestyle

Other Factors

Types of Stroke

What Does a Mini Stroke Feel Like?

How to Prevent a Stroke

Long-term Effect and Recovery: What to Expect

Conclusion

Symptoms and Signs of a Stroke: What Does it Feel Like to Have a Stroke?

Stroke symptoms are often sudden and can range from mild to severe depending on the type of stroke you’re experiencing and the part of your brain affected. However, knowing what a stroke feels like is the first step to recognizing it and taking the necessary action.

So, what does it feel like to have a stroke in your head?

• Severe headache that may feel like the worst headache of your life
• Double vision or visual loss
• Sudden weakness of your arm, leg, or one part of your body
• Confusion or loss of consciousness
• Problems with speaking or understanding what others say
• Numbness of your face, arm, or legs
• Sudden loss of balance or dizziness

Risk Factors for a Stroke

As you grow older, the likelihood of developing a stroke increases because your vessels narrow and become harder. However, several factors may increase this risk, and they include.

Lifestyle

• Excessive smoking and drinking: Tobacco and alcohol can increase your blood pressure, damage your blood vessels and heart, and increase your risk for a stroke.
• Lack of exercise: A sedentary lifestyle is linked to obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes (5). Exercising regularly reduces your risk of a stroke.
• Poor diet: A high salt and fat diet can increase your risk for stroke.
• Illicit drug use: Illicit drugs like heroin, cocaine, and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) are associated with an increased risk of stroke in young adults.

Medical Conditions

Several medical conditions can significantly increase your risk of developing a stroke.

• Hypertension or high blood pressure: This is due to increased pressure within your blood vessels.
• Diabetes: Diabetes doubles your risk of developing a stroke (3), especially an ischemic stroke.
• Obesity: Predisposes you to build-up of bad cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
• Hyperlipidaemia (high cholesterol level): This is characterized by high LDL levels (bad fat) that may be deposited in vessels in the brain and cause blockage.
• Heart diseases: Heart conditions such as atrial fibrillation and coronary heart disease can increase your risk of strokes (4) and also lead to complications.
• Sickle cell disease: Deformed or sickle-shaped cells can block vessels and block blood flow in the brain.
• Previous TIA or mini-stroke

Other Factors

• Age: The older you get, the more likely you are to develop a stroke.
• Sex: Women are at a higher risk of developing a stroke compared to men.
• Race/Ethnicity: Certain races, like African Americans and Pacific Islanders, have a higher risk of developing a stroke.
• Genetics or Family history: If any of your first-degree family members have had a stroke before, your chances of developing one are high.

Types of Stroke

Strokes are classified into two major types depending on the cause or the mechanism by which they occur. These include.

Ischemic Stroke

Ischemic stroke is the most common type of stroke, accounting for over 87% of cases (5). It occurs when a blood clot clogs a blood vessel, usually an artery, and impairs blood flow to a certain part of the brain. This clot can be formed within the blood vessels in the brain or may be dislodged from a different part of the body and travel to a vessel within the brain. When a vessel is occluded or blocked, the affected part of the brain begins to die due to a lack of oxygen and nutrients. Then it causes symptoms of a stroke depending on the affected part of the brain.

While ischemic strokes can cause lifelong disabilities, they can be reversed with timely intervention. Your GP or attending physician can offer certain medications that help to dissolve the clot and restore blood flow to that brain part. However, this must be done within 4.5 hours after you begin feeling the symptoms of a stroke.

Hemorrhagic Stroke

Hemorrhagic strokes are less common and account for only about 10 to 20 % of cases globally. (6) However, they are very dangerous and have high mortality rates. Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when an artery in or on the surface of the brain bursts. This causes disruption in oxygen and nutrient supply, accumulation of toxic substances, swelling, increased pressure, and disruption of the blood-brain barrier within the brain. All these result in severe stroke symptoms and, in several cases, death.

Although hemorrhagic strokes are very deadly, timely treatment can improve your survival rate and reduce complications.

Transient Ischemic Attack

A transient ischemic attack (TIA), also called a ‘mini-stroke,’ happens when a blood clot temporarily or briefly blocks an artery in the brain. The symptoms usually last a short time, ranging from a few minutes to some hours. However, these symptoms resolve within a day.

What Does a Mini Stroke Feel Like?

A mini-stroke often mimics a real stroke – think of it as a ‘short-term ischemic stroke.’ You may experience varying symptoms based on the part of your brain that’s affected.

It may feel like a curtain coming down over your eye, numbness of your limbs, or difficulty speaking. You may also experience other symptoms, such as.

• Confusion
• Weakness on one side of your face or body
• Difficulty understanding words
• Dizziness
• Headaches

Since mini-strokes are brief, you may overlook it or ignore it. However, it is essential to note that transient ischaemic strokes are often warning signs of an impending stroke. Research shows that 1 in every 3 persons who experience a TIA will have a stroke. (7) So, if you experience a mini-stroke, don’t hesitate to see your doctor for proper treatment.

How to Prevent a Stroke

Like with several medical conditions, you can prevent a stroke or another stroke if you’ve already had one. Simple lifestyle changes such as exercising, reducing alcohol intake, smoking cessation, and eating healthy foods like fruits and vegetables can significantly reduce your risk of developing a stroke and improve your overall health.

Additionally, being regular with follow-up and working hand-in-hand with your doctor or healthcare professional to manage already existing health conditions can help prevent strokes.

Long-term Effect and Recovery: What to Expect

The after-effect of a stroke often varies depending on how severe it is. If you suffer a stroke, you may experience seizures, poor memory and cognitive abilities, difficulty walking, reading, and writing, and several other symptoms. You may also experience post-stroke pain and depression.

Depending on your experience, your doctor and healthcare professionals will create a personalized treatment plan to stabilize you, help reduce disabilities, and improve your quality of life.

Life after a stroke can be overwhelming and difficult to navigate. However, family, friends, and support groups can make this phase a bit easier.

Conclusion

The first step to recognizing a stroke is knowing what it feels like or the signs of a stroke. The American Association on Stroke proposed an easy way to identify strokes using the F.A.S.T acronym.

F – Face drooping

A – Arm weakness

S – Speech difficulty

T – Time to call 911

If you begin to experience these symptoms or see someone experience them, remember to Act. F.A.S.T and take action.

After identifying a stroke and getting the initial treatment, you may need months to years of rehabilitation therapy to deal with some of the accompanying disabilities. The constant therapy app provides you with a customized program to address all your rehabilitation goals while giving you real-time progress updates.

Written by: Dr. Ori Otokpa, MBBS

Medically Reviewed by: Dr. Danielle Kelvas, MD

References

1. Tsao CW, Aday AW, Almarzooq ZI, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2023 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2023;147:e93–e621
2. FastStats. (n.d.). Leading Causes of Death. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.html
3. Sarwar, N., Gao, P., Seshasai, S. R. K., Gobin, R., Kaptoge, S., Di Angelantonio, E., Ingelsson, E., Lawlor, D. A., Selvin, E., Stampfer, M., Stehouwer, C. D. A., Lewington, S., Pennells, L., Thompson, A., Sattar, N., White, I. R., Ray, K. K., & Danesh, J. (2010). Diabetes mellitus, fasting blood glucose concentration, and risk of vascular disease: a collaborative meta-analysis of 102 prospective studies. The Lancet, 375(9733), 2215–2222. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(10)60484-9
4. Romero, J. R., Morris, J., & Pikula, A. (2008). Review: Stroke prevention: modifying risk factors. Therapeutic Advances in Cardiovascular Disease, 2(4), 287–303. https://doi.org/10.1177/1753944708093847
5. Manson, J. E. (1991). A Prospective study of Maturity-Onset diabetes mellitus and risk of coronary heart disease and stroke in women. Archives of Internal Medicine, 151(6), 1141. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.1991.00400060077013
6. Unnithan, Ajaya Kumar A., et al. “Hemorrhagic Stroke.” StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, 2025. PubMed, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559173/.
7. Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) | National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/transient-ischemic-attack-tia. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.