How stroke can affect you

Every stroke is different. There are several factors that determine the effects of stroke. These include the type of stroke, as well as which area of the brain is damaged and how badly. The brain is divided into areas that control different functions. These determine how you think, receive sensory messages, use language and move your body. Your general health and level of activity before the stroke will also have an impact.

Difficulties may include:

• Weakness on one side of the body, including arms and legs
• Problems controlling or coordinating movements (also arms and legs)
• Ignoring one side of your body, which is called neglect
• Difficulties swallowing food, drink or your own saliva
• Personality and behaviour changes
• Having uncontrollable outbursts of emotion without cause, which is called emotional lability
• Problems with thinking, memory and insight
• Difficulty receiving messages from your senses – smell, touch, taste, sight and hearing
• Problems speaking and understanding, or with reading and writing
• Feeling worried about having sex or having physical changes that make it difficult
• Vision loss
• Incontinence
• Fatigue.