4. Dizziness and Coordination Problems
Many elderly individuals, unfortunately, lack stability and coordination. While sometimes it is due to medical conditions or other external events, often it can be simply attributed to a lack of activity and exercise throughout their lives. That being said, a sudden onset of dizziness, balance issues, or coordination problems should not simply be chalked up to old age. These symptoms should be evaluated by a healthcare professional to determine if it is a mini stroke or something else.
5. Confusion
Beyond confusion with speech, confusion due to mini stroke can set it in other settings, as well. A sudden onset of disorientation, or difficulty in understanding surroundings, should be taken seriously. This could be a sign of a mini stroke or other health conditions, and regardless of which requires immediate medical assessment.
6. Unexplained Headache
Sudden, severe headaches should never be ignored. Particularly in the elderly, they could be a sign of a mini stroke. While there could be other explanations for these headaches, such as migraines or tension headaches, when they come on when this person never had them before, this is usually not a good sign. These headaches could also be accompanied by other symptoms such as vision changes, confusion, or weakness, again signaling a potential mini stroke.
