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jmarkwauerSUCCESS!
jmarkwauer
Q.

Can a stroke just affect the legs and nothing elsse?

Related Topics: Stroke, Leg
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Elizabeth HanesElizabeth HanesSUCCESS!
Elizabeth Hanes
General Medicine
Nursing
976 Answers
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A.
That's a good question.

A stroke is what we call the death of small portions of brain tissue due to an interruption of oxygen delivery. Common causes of stroke include a blood clot (which prevents the flow of oxygen-rich blood to an area of the brain) or a hemorrhage (basically a burst blood vessel in the brain).

Usually, the symptoms of stroke, such as weakness, only affect one side of the body, not both. So, if your question is "can stroke cause weakness in both legs and nothing else," then the answer is "probably not" because a stroke doesn't usually affect both sides of the body at the same time.

If your question is "can stroke cause weakness is one leg and no other body parts on that side," the answer again is "probably not." Usually, a stroke causes weakness to the entire side of the body, from the face to the toes.

Everyone should know the symptoms of stroke because stroke is an emergency that requires prompt treatment. If you ever suspect someone is having a stroke, do these three things:

  1. Ask them to give you a big, big grin and hold it. Does one side of the mouth droop? If so, this is a sign of stroke.
  2. Ask them to extend both arms out at shoulder height and hold them. Is the person able to raise both arms equally? If not, this can be a sign of stroke.
  3. Ask them to answer a simple question, such as, "What do you see out the window?" or "What did you eat for lunch?" If the person can't give you a coherent answer (if their words don't go together correctly), this can be a sign of stroke.

If the person you're testing for stroke does not pass two of the above tests, call 911 immediately. When it comes to stroke, better safe than sorry!


Hope this helps.

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