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What a Stroke Does to the Body

When a Stroke Occurs....​


  • When a stroke happens in the brain, one side of the body is affected.
  • A stroke can happen to persons belonging to any age group, from teens on up.
  • A stroke affects not only the individual survivor, but also the individual's entire family.
  • The brain is damaged, and in some patients, a part of the brain dies.
  • For patients with obvious speech problems or motor skill problems more than 90 days after a stroke, brain death has occurred in those areas.

Physical Symptoms


​The three areas where you can see or hear the effects of a stroke are in the survivor's:

  1. Motor Functions
  2. Speech
  3. Autonomic Functions (Breathing, Swallowing, etc.)

Neurological Symptoms


Some parts of the brain may have died, while others may be recovering

  • In general, speech, writing and short term memory are all affected.
  • Pathways in the brain will move more slowly or not at all.
  • Making decisions, weighing pros and cons, and engaging in logical or rational thinking may be a thing of the past.