A silent stroke, also known as anasymptomatic cerebrovascular infarction, is a type ofstrokewhere you don’t have recognizable symptoms like facial drooping, arm weakness, or slurring. It can happen while you are awake or sleeping and cause damage to the brain that can permanently affect your thinking, speech, movement, or memory.
Silent strokes may be identified weeks, months, or years later when a person undergoes abrain scanfor an unrelated problem.Once diagnosed, a silent stroke should be treated to prevent it from turning into a full-blown stroke.
This article describes how silent strokes are diagnosed as well as the types of symptoms a person might experience. It also explains what should do if you have a silent stroke and how a silent stroke differs from a condition known as a “mini-stroke.”
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How Stroke Is Diagnosed
1:30Think FAST With a Stroke
1:30
Think FAST With a Stroke
How Silent Strokes Are Found
In many cases, a person will have problems with memory, attention, thought processing, or behavior, or experience the unexplained loss of mobility, coordination, or speech. Upon medical imaging, the signs of an old stroke may be seen, including areas ofbrain atrophy(tissue death) andcalcification(deposits of calcium) in or around a ruptured or blocked blood vessel in the brain.
Imaging tests that can diagnose a silent stroke include:
With an old stroke, tissue scarring may appear as white spots on an MRI or CT scan. A TCD may reveal signs of obstructed or re-routed blood flow.
Common risk factors for a silent stroke includehypertension(high blood pressure),heart disease,diabetes,high cholesterol, andsmoking.
How Common Are Silent Strokes?Silent strokes are more common than classic strokes. According to the American Heart Association, between 8 and 11 million people in the United States experience a silent stroke each year. By age 80, one in four people will have had one or more silent strokes.
How Common Are Silent Strokes?
Silent strokes are more common than classic strokes. According to the American Heart Association, between 8 and 11 million people in the United States experience a silent stroke each year. By age 80, one in four people will have had one or more silent strokes.
A Word From VerywellA “silent” stroke means that you do not have or do not remember any symptoms. They can cause permanent damage, and if you have more than one, it can lead to problems with thinking and memory.—SMITA PATEL, DO, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
A Word From Verywell
A “silent” stroke means that you do not have or do not remember any symptoms. They can cause permanent damage, and if you have more than one, it can lead to problems with thinking and memory.—SMITA PATEL, DO, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
A “silent” stroke means that you do not have or do not remember any symptoms. They can cause permanent damage, and if you have more than one, it can lead to problems with thinking and memory.
—SMITA PATEL, DO, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
Do They Have Lasting Effects?
Some may experience longer-term symptoms that they may not recognize as being stroke-related. Others still may experience a full-blownischemic strokeorhemorrhagic stroke.
Silent strokes can happen to anyone but tend to affect older adults. Because of this, symptoms are often interpreted as signs of aging and may include:
Symptoms of a silent stroke, such as a loss of memory or cognition, are easily confused with dementia. Ironically, studies have shown that silent strokes may increase the risk of dementia.
Silent Strokes vs. Mini Strokes (TIAs)
A silent stroke is not the same as a mini-stroke. A mini-stroke, otherwise known as atransient ischemic attack(TIA), is a brief stroke-like attack with symptoms that resolve within minutes to hours. Unlike a silent stroke, where there is permanent brain damage, a TIA may improve without any long-term brain damage.
Even so, TIAs are strong predictors of a future stroke. Studies have shown that up third of people who have had a TIA will go on to have a full-blown stroke within one year.
Symptoms of TIA are similar to those of a classic stroke and may include:
If TIA is diagnosed, preventive therapies would be used to reduce your risk of a future stroke.
What Should I Do?
If you have had a silent stroke, it is important to not only engage in treatments to aid with rehabilitation and recovery but also to make lifestyle changes to prevent a full-blown stroke in the future.
Rehabilitation and Recovery
Recovery from a silent stroke may involve multiple providers and treatments to get you functioning normally (or as normally) as possible following your diagnosis.
This may involve:
7 Stages of Stroke Recovery
Prevention
It is important to take steps to prevent a future stroke irrespective of how long ago the silent stroke may have occurred. Tissue damage in the brain inherently weakens blood vessels or causes them to narrow, both of which can contribute to a stroke. This is true even if you’ve never experienced any symptoms and feel perfectly fine.
Preventive treatments may involve:
Regular check-ups with acardiologistare also recommended to monitor your condition and adjust treatment as needed.
Preventing Stroke If You Have a TIA
Summary
A silent stroke is one in which you have no notable symptoms and may not even realize that you had it. Even so, it can cause damage to the brain and potentially serious symptoms in later life, including an increased risk of dementia or a full-blown stroke.
10 Tests Used to Measure Stroke Risk
12 Sources
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