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Slurred Speech
Is this your symptom?- Weakness or paralysis of the face, arm, or leg
- Numbness or tingling of the face, arm, or leg
- Loss of speech, garbled or confused speech
Some Basics...- New face, arm, or leg weakness on one side of the body is almost always serious.
- The same is true for new numbness of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body.
- Of course, new slurred speech or trouble speaking is also usually serious.
- A person with these symptoms should seek emergency care right away.
Causes- Bells Palsy: This is one-sided face weakness due to a paralyzed facial nerve. The main symptom is a crooked smile.
- Brain tumor
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Guillain-Barré Syndrome
- Head trauma with brain bleeding (such as epidural or subdural hematoma)
- Hemiplegic or hemisensory migraine
- Meningitis, encephalitis
- Multiple sclerosis
- Neuropathy
- Spinal cord problem (such as tumor, disc protrusion, epidural abscess)
- Stroke ("Brain Attack", cerebrovascular accident, CVA)
- Subarachnoid hemorrhage
- TIA (transient ischemic attack)
- Todd's paralysis: This is one-sided weakness that happens after a seizure and then goes away.
- Transverse Myelitis
What is a stroke (brain attack)?- A stroke means a part of the brain is damaged because blood flow to that area has stopped.
- Ischemic stroke is a type of stroke that occurs when a blood vessel in the brain becomes blocked with a blood clot.
- The clot may form in a very narrow blood vessel or may travel to the brain from another area in the body. Another medical term for this type of stroke is ischemic cerebral vascular accident (CVA).
- Hemorrhagic stroke is a type of stroke that occurs when a blood vessel breaks and causes bleeding in the brain. Another medical term for this type of stroke is hemorrhagic cerebral vascular accident (CVA).
- A layperson term that means the same thing is brain attack.
Symptoms of a stroke are: - Sudden onset of weakness or numbness of one side of the body
- Sudden loss of speech or vision, and/or
- Sudden dizziness and unsteadiness
- There may or may not be a headache
Some less common symptoms are: - Blurred or seeing double
- Coma (not responding, will not wake up)
- Confusion
Treatment depends on the type of stroke and how quickly a person seeks care. In some cases a clot buster drug can be used. However, for this drug to work best, it needs to be given within a few hours of when symptoms start. What is a TIA?- A transient ischemic attack (TIA) means the blood flow to an area in the brain is blocked for a brief time.
- Common causes are a small blood clot in a blood vessel or a blood vessel that is too narrow.
- A more common name for this problem is a mini stroke.
The symptoms are the same as a stroke, but they go away after a few minutes or hours.
When to Call for Slurred Speech
Call 911 Now- Trouble waking up or acting confused
- New or sudden onset of weakness of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body
- New or sudden onset of numbness (loss of feeling) of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body
- New or sudden onset of slurred speech or trouble talking
- You think you have a life-threatening emergency
Call Doctor or Seek Care Now- New or sudden onset of tingling (pins and needles) of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body
- Any of the following symptoms that have lasted longer than one week:
- Weakness of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body
- Numbness of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body
- Slurred speech or trouble talking
- Any of the following symptoms that are longstanding but getting worse:
- Weakness of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body
- Numbness of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body
- Slurred speech or trouble talking
- Back pain with numbness (loss of feeling) in groin or rectal area
- You are worried you may have Bell's palsy (weakness of one side of face, developing over hours to days, no other symptoms)
- You feel weak or very sick
- You think you need to be seen, and the problem is urgent
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Call Doctor Within 24 Hours- New numbness or tingling of both hands
- New numbness or tingling of both feet
- You think you need to be seen, but the problem is not urgent
Call Doctor During Office Hours- Any of the following symptoms are longstanding and unchanged:
- Weakness of the face, arm, or leg
- Numbness or tingling of the face, arm, or leg
- Loss of speech or garbled speech
- You have other questions or concerns
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Self Care at Home- Brief (now gone) tingling or burning feeling in hand after bumped elbow
- Brief (now gone) tingling of hand after laying on arm a long time such as during sleep
- Brief (now gone) tingling in foot after sitting with legs crossed for a long time
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Care AdviceYou Suspect a Stroke (Brain Attack) Call 9-1-1 right away if you think you or someone you know is having a stroke. - If you think someone may be having a stroke, act F.A.S.T. and do the following simple test:
- F - Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
- A - Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
- S - Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is the speech slurred or strange?
- T - Time: If you see any of these signs, call 9-1-1 right away.
You Bruised your Funny Bone - What You Should Know:
- A bruised ulnar nerve is a mild elbow injury caused by a blow to the elbow (ulnar) nerve.
- The main symptoms are burning pain and tingling that runs down the lower arm into the hand. You may also get pain in the middle, ring, and little (pinkie) fingers.
- Another medical term that means the same thing is ulnar nerve contusion. A more common name for this injury is hitting your funny bone.
- What to Expect:
- This should last just a few minutes.
- If the symptoms last longer than 30 minutes, then you should call your doctor.
- If this problem happens to you very often, then you should see your doctor for an exam.
- Call Your Doctor If:
- Numbness or tingling lasts longer than 30 minutes
- This happens often
- You think you need to be seen
- You get worse
Your Arm Falls Asleep - What You Should Know:
- Your arm and hand can feel numb if you sleep on the arm wrong.
- Some people describe this as their arm or hand falling asleep.
- Putting too much pressure on one of the nerves in the arm causes this problem.
- What to Expect:
- The numbness and tingling should last just a few minutes.
- Stretch and gently move your arm. This should help make your symptoms go away in a few minutes.
- Call Your Doctor If:
- Numbness or tingling lasts longer than 30 minutes
- This happens often
- You think you need to be seen
- You get worse
Your Leg Falls Asleep - What You Should Know:
- Your leg and foot can feel numb if you cross your legs for a long period or sit wrong.
- People describe this as their leg or foot falling asleep.
- Putting too much pressure on one of the nerves in the leg, near the knee, causes this problem.
- What to Expect:
- The numbness and tingling should last just a few minutes.
- Stretch and gently move your leg. This should help make your symptoms go away in a few minutes.
- Call Your Doctor If:
- Numbness or tingling lasts longer than 30 minutes
- This happens often
- You get worse
And remember, contact your doctor if you develop any of the 'Call Your Doctor' symptoms.Disclaimer: this health information is for educational purposes only. You, the reader, assume full responsibility for how you choose to use it.
Last Reviewed: |
2/22/2019 1:00:30 AM |
Last Updated: |
3/31/2018 1:00:55 AM |
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