THERE are a few key signs of a stroke to watch out for – a droopy face, slurred speech, weakness in one side of the body.
For Oscar winner Jamie Foxx, the first sign of the health emergency was a “bad headache”.
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Speaking about the experience for the first time, the actor, 56, revealed he’d suffered a brain bleed that led to a stroke in April 2023.
Jamie was taken to a doctor by friends after experiencing a severe headache while filming comedy Back in Action opposite Cameron Diaz, and was later rushed to hospital by his sister who “knew something was wrong”.
The actor underwent surgery and said he had no memory of 20 whole days.
“When I woke up, I found myself in a wheelchair, I couldn’t walk,” he recalled during the Netflix special, ‘Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…’.
Aside from a headache, face or arm weakness and speech problems, there’s a subtle stroke warning sign that might be able to spot in the morning.
Loss of vision – aka an eye stroke – could indicate you’re at risk of the condition too.
The most common form of stroke occurs when a blood clot prevents the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain.
An eye stroke occurs due to lack of blood flow to your optic nerve.
Each of your eyes has an optic nerve that connects to your brain, which carries visual information from your retina – a light
sensitive area at the back of the eye that helps capture the image of what you’re seeing- to the occipital cortex area of our brain.
That region interprets the image into what we recognise as sight.
“People with eye stroke are usually given little warning,” Penn Medicine warned.
Most people will notice loss of vision in one eye when waking up in the morning, but they won’t have any pain.
You could experience a dark area or shadow in the upper or lower half of your visual field.
Other symptoms you might notice are sensitivity to light or you might be less able to see contrast.
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Am I at risk for eye stroke?
You’re more likely to have an eye stroke if you’re middle aged or elderly – only 10 per cent of people affected are under 45.
Having cardiovascular disease could increase your risk of the condition.
“In some patients with cardiovascular disease, blood pressure falls markedly while sleeping,” Penn Medicine explained.
“This low blood pressure reduces circulation through those arteries, increasing the chance of eye stroke.”
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Certain optic disc shapes can also play a part.
The optic disc is a round section at the back of the eye when your retina and the optic nerve connect.
The risk of having an eye stroke is higher if your optic foramen is smaller than average – nerve fibres enter the eye through this hole when travelling to the brain and down the optic nerve.
A smaller optic foramen will mean the nerves get crowded, upping the risk of an eye stroke, Penn Medicine said.
What are the 4 symptoms of stroke you must know?
You can use the FAST method – which stands for Face, Arms, Speech, Time – to identify is someone is having a stroke:
F = Face drooping – if one side of a person’s face is dropped or numb then ask them to smile, if it’s uneven, you should seek medical help.
A = Arm weakness – if one arm is weak or numb then you should ask the person to raise both arms. If one arm drifts downwards, it could signify stroke
S = Speech difficulty – if a person’s speech is slurred this could be a sign of a stroke
T = Time to call 999 – if a person has the signs above then you need to call 999
Other stroke symptoms include:
- Sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the body
- Difficulty finding words
- Sudden blurred vision or loss of sight
- Sudden confusion, dizziness or unsteadiness
- A sudden and severe headache
- Difficulty understanding what others are saying
- Difficulty swallowing
Ischaemic stroke, the most common form of the condition, occurs when a blood clot prevents the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain.
This is typically caused by arteries becoming narrower over time.
How to reduce your risk of stroke
You can help to reduce your risk of stroke by making some healthy lifestyle changes:
- Stop smoking
- Be more active
- Drink alcohol within the recommended limits
- Eat a healthy diet
- Stay a healthy weight
As we age our arteries become harder and narrower, making them more likely to become blocked.
Conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes can speed up the process and increase your risk of having a stroke.
If you’re over 40, regular check-ups can pick up on any problems.
Source: NHS, Stroke Association
“Although the relationship is not well understood, people who had significant cardiovascular disease and also take the drug Viagra are more at risk for the disease,” the health body added.
According to Moorfields Eye Hospital, the following conditions might make the condition more likely:
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Glaucoma
- Diabetes
- Smoking
- Certain rare blood disorders
What should I do if I have an eye stroke?
In its most severe form, an eye stroke can lead to complete blindness in your eye.
But in some cases, there’s only a temporary blockage to your optic nerve and your vision returns quickly.
This is often described as a ‘mini-stroke’, Dr Pearse Keane – a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital – told the British Heart Foundation.
He urged anyone experiencing sudden loss in vision to see an expert urgently, either through an optometrist or A&E.
“If an eye stroke is diagnosed within four hours of it happening, it may be possible to dislodge the clot by massaging the eye and giving medications to lower the pressure in the eye,” Dr Keane wrote.
“Unfortunately, most patients don’t get specialist help for 24 hours or more, which is too late for treatment.
“Even if your vision can’t be restored, always seek medical advice after an eye stroke, as you are at increased risk of a stroke in your brain.”
Stroke Association estimates that roughly 100,000 Brits have strokes every year – the UK has 1.3 million stroke survivors.
Jamie Foxx opens up about medical emergency
Oscar winner Jamie Fox was hospitalised in April 2023, with his family saying at the time that he’d suffered a “medical complication”.
First the first time, the actor shared that he’d had a brain bleed, which caused a stroke.
“It is a mystery,” he said during the Netflix special, ‘Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…’.
“We still don’t know exactly what happened to me.”
The actor, who had been filming the Netflix spy action film Back In Action with Hollywood actress Cameron Diaz, recalls how he was treated at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta after suddenly falling ill.
He says it started as a “bad headache”, leading him to see a doctor who gave him a “cortisone shot”, a steroid injection.
Jamie says his sister Deidra Dixon “knew something was wrong” as he was lethargic, and took him to the hospital.
“She didn’t know anything about Piedmont Hospital, but she had a hunch that some angels were in there,” he added.
“Atlanta saved my life.”
He added: “Twenty days I don’t remember, but on May 4 I woke up.”
The star was unconscious for much of this, recalling: “Your life doesn’t flash before your face. It was kind of oddly peaceful.
“I saw the tunnel. I didn’t see the light. It was hot in that tunnel.”
When he woke up in May last year, Jamie found himself in a wheelchair but with no idea why.
Doctors said he might make a full recovery, but that it was likely to be the “worst year of [his] life”.
Read more on the actor’s ordeal here.
