Is there such a thing as a silent hit?

Ask the doctors

Q: I've heard of silent heart attacks, but is it also possible that you're having a stroke and don't know it?

In fact, a statement from the American Stroke Association and the American Heart Association estimated that up to a quarter of people over the age of 80 may have

Often these events are only discovered when a person undergoes brain imaging for another reason.

A silent stroke is often caused by reduced blood flow in one of the smaller arteries that feed the brain. It can occur without noticeable symptoms if it affects a part of the brain that does not control major movements or vital functions. This means it won't produce the classic symptoms of a stroke, such as arm or leg weakness or slurred speech. A silent stroke can also cause symptoms that you mistakenly attribute to something else, such as various yard tricks or random memory lapses. As well as reducing the chance of having a major stroke, treating cardiovascular risk factors such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure also reduces the risk of silent strokes.