Were Those Slurred Words From Suffering a Mini Stroke or a Hemiplegic Migraine?

You've probably seen the videos that eventually go viral with someone slurring words so badly that they sound like made-up words. These videos usually involve television news reporters live on the air.

For some watching, they're scary moments wondering what's happening while others laugh thinking maybe the person is on drugs or is drunk. Although those laughing eventually realize what they watched was indeed a scary medical moment for the person involved that could happen to anyone.

I bring this up because the video below of a Los Angeles reporter is going viral again. She's broadcasting live and all of a sudden starts talking gibberish without missing a beat. It's quite alarming.

While everyone immediately thought she was having a stroke it turned out to be a hemiplegic migraine. According to the Cleveland Clinic, this type of rare migraine happens with one-sided muscle weakness and looks and feels similar to a mini-stroke.

I've attached two more videos in this article of the same thing happening to a television news anchor out of Oklahoma and a news reporter out of Canada.

For most regular people, if you will, when this happens it's not broadcast for the world to see but rather with family, friends, or even alone.

But was it a stroke or hemiplegic migraine and what's the difference?

According to the Healthline website, a mini-stroke isn't fatal but is a warning sign of more serious strokes to possibly come. Even mini-strokes can cause long-term to lifetime medical problems and they come out of nowhere, all of a sudden without warning.

Meanwhile, hemiplegic migraines are treatable, albeit truly frightening but not a medical emergency. There are warning signs, however, albeit may just seem like you're feeling under the weather or getting more headaches than normal.

Both have the following symptoms along with slurring, gibberish-sounding speech according to Healthline.

• headache
• sharp or sudden pain
• vision changes or vision loss
• dizziness
• nausea
• vomiting
• confusion
• face numbness or tingling
• numbness or weakness on one side of the body
• pulsating in the head or face
• high blood pressure

Either way, a doctor should be able to tell you which you suffered and assist you from there.