Doctor warns of the ‘biggest myth’ around strokes as she shares the key symptoms

A doctor has detailed the signs you should be looking out for to see whether you or someone you know is experiencing a stroke, while also debunking a common misconception around the condition.

Every 40 seconds, someone in the US has a stroke, while every three minutes and 11 seconds an American dies due to it, according to statistics provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

While the government agency also states that one in six people in America that die from cardiovascular disease - which is the number one leading cause of death worldwide - do so due to a stroke.

Now, Dr Carolyn Brockington, director of the stroke center at Mount Sinai West and Morningside in New York City, has touched on the topic during national stroke month, while speaking with Today on Thursday.

If you or someone you know is suffering from a stroke, you must act fast (Getty stock)

What are the signs of a stroke?

The CDC explain that there are a number of symptoms of a stroke which include sudden numbness to the face, arm, leg or on one side of the body; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; suffer from a sudden, yet severe, headache with no known cause.

If you suddenly experience trouble speaking or understanding speech, as well as sudden trouble walking, loss of balance or dizziness, then you are urged to act fast by calling 911 if you or someone else has any of the above symptoms.

What is the ‘biggest myth’ about strokes?

The vascular neurologist continued: "I think one of the biggest myths of stroke is that people think, 'oh, it only happens if you get older, if I'm not old you don't have to worry about it'. But anyone can have a stroke."

"Incidents of stroke does increase as you get older, but just because you're young doesn't mean that you're protected. So, we want people to know that strokes are preventable."

How do you prevent a stroke?

According to a Stamford Health 2023 paper, roughly 800,000 people in the US suffer strokes every year - with 15 percent of those affecting people between the ages of 18 and 50.

The CDC says in order to prevent a stroke maintaining a healthy lifestyle is key and that you should seek medical assistance to take steps to lower your risk.

No smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, eating the right foods, keeping alcohol consumption to a minimum and checking your cholesterol are also steps towards prevention.

Heart attack versus stroke

Brockington explained: "I think sometimes there's a lot of confusion between what's a heart attack versus what a stroke is and people think maybe they're the same. But they're not. Both are caused by not enough blood or interruption of blood flow.

"But a heart attack is when you don't get enough blood to the heart. So you might get chest pain, discomfort, shortness of breath, dizziness, problems with the arms, sometimes pain to the left side.

"Stroke, or sometimes they say brain attack, is not enough blood flow to the brain, so depending on the symptoms happen suddenly, almost like a light switch going off, right? And suddenly you have the symptoms."