Silent stroke facts for kids
A silent stroke is a type of stroke that happens without you even knowing it. Unlike a regular stroke, it doesn't cause obvious signs like trouble speaking or weakness on one side of your body. Even though you might not notice it, a silent stroke still damages your brain. This damage can increase your risk of having a more serious stroke or other brain problems later on.
These strokes are called "silent" because they usually affect parts of the brain that don't control things you can easily see, like movement or speech. Instead, silent strokes often happen in areas of the brain that handle thinking, mood, and memory. They can be a major cause of problems with thinking and memory, sometimes even leading to a loss of bladder control.
Millions of people have had silent strokes, often without knowing it. Doctors can usually find signs of silent strokes by using special brain scans like MRI.
Older people are more likely to have a silent stroke, but younger adults can also experience them. Women seem to be at a higher risk, especially if they have hypertension (high blood pressure) or if they smoke.
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Understanding silent strokes
Silent strokes are different from a transient ischemic attack (TIA). A TIA causes noticeable symptoms, but these symptoms usually last only a few minutes to 24 hours before getting better. If someone has a TIA, they have a higher chance of having a major stroke or silent strokes in the future.
Types of silent strokes
Silent strokes can be caused by different issues affecting the brain's blood supply.
Ischemic stroke
An ischemic stroke happens when a blood vessel that carries blood to the brain gets blocked. This blockage stops blood from reaching part of the brain, causing damage. This is the most common type of stroke.
Hemorrhagic stroke
A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain becomes weak and breaks open. This causes blood to leak out into the brain tissue. Hemorrhagic strokes are often caused by problems like aneurysms (weak spots in a blood vessel) or arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), which are tangled blood vessels.
Lacunar infarcts
Lacunar infarcts are very small strokes. They happen deep inside the brain, not on its outer surface. These small strokes are caused by blockages in tiny blood vessels that supply blood to the inner parts of the brain, including the white matter. Doctors can often see signs of lacunar infarcts and other changes in the white matter on brain scans like computerized tomography (CT scans).
