Symptom: Trouble Finding the Right Words
Likely cause: Sleep deprivation
Worst-case scenario: Stroke
It's easy to laugh off a little brain freeze as a senior moment, but if your word problems amount to more than a minor slipup (for example, saying "runny hosted peanuts" instead of "honey roasted peanuts" is normal; saying "red place mat" when you mean "honey roasted peanuts" is not), it could be a stroke, which occurs when a blood vessel in the brain either bursts or is blocked by a clot, depriving brain cells of oxygen. "Language impairment -- when you have trouble speaking, or say nonsense words or words that don't go together -- is common in left hemisphere strokes," says Argye Hillis, MD, of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Other signs it may be serious: Weakness on one side of the body, slurred speech, dizziness, blurred vision, headache, neck stiffness, or lack of coordination are all red flags. A temporary bout of amnesia (not being able to remember what you did for the past few hours) or symptoms that last only a few minutes could signal a transient ischemic attack (TIA), a ministroke that raises your risk of the real deal substantially, especially over the following few days. Certain factors raise your odds of having a stroke: getting migraines with an aura; smoking; being overweight; having heart disease, diabetes, or high blood pressure; and being on the pill or HT.
When to act: "Call 911 if any of these symptoms develop suddenly -- for example, if you're not able to do something that you could do five minutes earlier," Hillis says. A quick response is critical, because receiving a clot-busting drug within the first three hours improves the odds of recovery by an estimated 30 percent. "Even if symptoms go away on their own, you should get to the emergency room as soon as possible to be evaluated for the cause of the TIA, so a stroke can be prevented," Hillis recommends.
