Effects of a stroke

• Difficulties in movement and coordination;
• Numbness of the limbs on one side of the body;
• Difficulties swallowing (food can pass accidentally into the windpipe when eating or drinking);
• Language difficulties (problems understanding, speaking, reading, writing and calculation;
• Trouble recognising or using everyday objects;
• Being confused and disorganised, slower reaction time, problems with thinking logically, decision making and concentration;
• Difficulties with bladder or bowel control;
• Fatigue

Stroke and falls

Stroke survivors find that their balance and movement has been affected and that simple activities have become more difficult to carry out.

There are a number of effects of a stroke which increase the risk of falling, including:

• Problems with balance and mobility caused by problems with coordination, weakness of lower limbs, a lack of awareness of one side of the body or painful muscle spasms and abnormal gait;
• Impulsive behaviour; problems judging their own ability to do different activities and tasks;
• Visual problems causing people to "forget" or "ignore" objects on one side of their visual field, impaired perception of distance.