Most people would, hopefully, be able to spot the obvious signs of a stroke. But there are times when it could be something else entirely.
The FAST acronym provides a memorable way of identifying the most common signs of a stroke, while also urging people to dial 999 quickly. F stands for Face – has their face fallen on one side? Can they smile?
A is arms – can they raise both arms and keep them there? S – Is their speech slurred? T is time, as you should call 999 immediately if you spot any of these signs.
If a stroke is ruled out, these some of these symptoms may be caused by vascular dementia, a common type of dementia caused by reduced blood flow to the brain, that can often be confused with a stroke as patients tend to experience muscle weakness or temporary paralysis on one side of the body. It’s estimated to affect around 180,000 people in the UK, according to the NHS.
Symptoms can sometimes develop suddenly and quickly get worse. They can also develop gradually over many months or years and can include:
- Movement problems: Difficulty walking or a change in the way a person walks
- Thinking problems: Having difficulty with attention, planning and reasoning
- Mood changes: Depression and a tendency to become more emotional
These problems can make daily activities increasingly difficult and someone with the condition may eventually be unable to look after themselves. Vascular dementia tends to get worse over time, although it’s sometimes possible to slow it down.
There are certain people who are more at risk of developing this type of condition. Men are slightly more likely to develop vascular dementia than women as well as people who have health conditions that can affect the supply of blood to the brain such as heart disease, high cholesterol and diabetes.
Dementia UK warns that, whilst rare in those under 65, it can also develop in younger people. When dementia symptoms develop before you’re 65, it is known as young onset dementia.
See a GP if you think you have early symptoms of dementia, especially if you’re over 65 years of age. If it’s found at an early stage, treatment may be able to stop vascular dementia from getting worse or at least slow it down.
If you’re worried about someone else, encourage them to make an appointment with a GP and perhaps suggest that you go with them. Your GP can do some simple checks to try to find the cause of your symptoms and may refer you to a memory clinic or another specialist for further tests if needed.
While there is no guaranteed way to prevent vascular dementia, the best way to reduce the risk or delay its onset and progression is to follow the general advice for good heart health. This will help to prevent damage or disease to the blood vessels in your brain.
There’s currently no cure for vascular dementia and there’s no way to reverse any loss of brain cells that happened before the condition was diagnosed.
However, treatment can sometimes help slow down vascular dementia by tackling the underlying cause, which may reduce the speed at which brain cells are lost. A doctor will recommend:
- eating a healthy, balanced diet
- losing weight if you’re overweight
- stopping smoking
- getting fit
- cutting down on alcohol
- taking medicines, such as those used to treat high blood pressure, lower cholesterol or prevent blood clots
The NHS has lots of resources to help those dealing with a dementia diagnosis – both the patient and their family. You can find more information here.
