A Scottish man is encouraging others to learn about the lesser-known warning signs of stroke after his only symptom was a sudden inability to read.
Gordon Robb, 63, from Bonnyrigg in Midlothian, experienced a brain bleed that left him unable to make sense of written words.
Emails, text messages, and even cash machine displays suddenly looked as though they were written in an entirely different language.
This particular symptom is incredibly rare. Specialists say that struggling to recognise written words alone, without any other signs, happens in fewer than 1 per cent of stroke patients.
Inability to read is an incredibly rare stroke symptom
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Mr Robb is now participating in a British Heart Foundation-funded clinical trial at the University of Edinburgh, receiving clopidogrel medication as researchers investigate ways to prevent future strokes in haemorrhagic stroke survivors.
There are still plenty of misconceptions about strokes, so Professor Deb Lowe, medical director at the Stroke Association, has shared some vital information about what actually happens during one.
“A stroke is caused by a sudden interruption to the blood supply to the brain, which is either due to a blockage in a blood vessel, called an ischaemic stroke, or due to bleeding in or around the brain, called a haemorrhagic stroke,” explained Lowe.
Around 85 per cent of strokes in the UK fall into the ischaemic category. Most people know about the FAST test – Face, Arms, Speech, Time – which helps spot the three most common stroke signs.
“There are some typical features that are identified in the majority of people, which include drooping of the face, weakness of the arm and/or leg, or loss of sensation in one side of the body,” said Lowe.
Speech problems are also a major red flag, with symptoms ranging from slurred words to difficulty finding the right terms, or even losing the ability to understand what others are saying. But there are subtler signs that people often overlook.
“Sometimes people experience visual disturbances too and can lose visual fields, and can lose either all their right-side field of vision or all of their left-side field of vision,” said Dr Lowe.
Sudden dizziness, memory loss, confusion, or an unexpected fall should also be taken seriously. Some people experience balance and coordination problems alongside nausea and vomiting.
When it comes to reading difficulties, as Mr Robb experienced, Lowe explains this happens when a small, specific area of the brain is affected, disrupting what experts call “higher executive functioning.”
A sudden, severe headache can also signal a stroke.
Knowing when to get help is crucial, and it depends on the severity of your symptoms.
“If you’ve not got any ongoing symptoms, but you’re just worried about some fleeting symptoms that you’ve had, you need to discuss it with your GP,” advises Lowe.
For minor but persistent symptoms, calling 111 is a suitable option. However, sudden facial weakness, speech problems, or inability to move limbs requires an immediate 999 call.
A sudden, severe headache can signal a stroke
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The UK has more than 100 specialist stroke centres with trained medical teams ready to diagnose patients quickly through brain scans and expert assessments.
Delaying treatment means missing the chance for rapid diagnosis and medication that could prevent another stroke.
“Essentially, time is brain, and the sooner that a diagnosis can be made, the better,” says Lowe.