I had a mild stroke—a microstroke—and I’m sharing this experience not to cause concern, but to  raise awareness . Because if you learn to recognize the warning signs, you can take timely action.

But first, what is a stroke?

A stroke occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain is interrupted. Without oxygen, brain cells begin to die. The consequences can be serious: speech disorders, memory loss, paralysis, etc. The most common cause is  thrombosis : a clot that blocks a blood vessel. This can be caused by an unhealthy lifestyle, a sedentary lifestyle, certain hormonal treatments, or simply by  vascular aging  .