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RECOGNISING
A STROKE |
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Strokes can happen at anyone and
anytime but if treatment is received within 3 hours it is possible to
make a full recovery. This means that the symptoms must be recognised,
diagnosed and treated without delay and this can be the problem.
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are
difficult to identify as often a fall or stumble is attributed to new
shoes, an uneven surface, or too much alcohol. Unfortunately, this lack
of awareness spells disaster as the stroke victim may suffer brain
damage if people nearby fail to recognise the symptoms.
A neurologist says that if he can get
to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of
a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized,
diagnosed and getting to the patient within 3 hours, which is
tough.
Sometimes symptoms of these strokes are
difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells
disaster. The stroke victim may suffer brain damage when people nearby
fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say a
bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
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1. |
Ask the individual to
SMILE.
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2. |
Ask him or her to RAISE
BOTH ARMS.
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3. |
Ask the person to SPEAK A
SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (i.e. 'It is sunny out
today').
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If he or she has trouble with any of
these tasks, call the emergency services immediately and describe the
symptoms.
Remembering these three simple
questions could help save someone's quality of life, or even life
itself.
This
valuable information was contributed by Angela Davey and David Lubran
Stick out Your Tongue
NOTE:
Another 'sign' of a stroke is this:
Ask
the person to 'stick' out his tongue..
If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other,
that is also an indication of a stroke.
Ezz Bish
LATEST ACRONYM
FOR STROKE SYMPTOMS
F A S T
Face.
Ask the person to smile. A stroke can cause
one side of the face to droop. Abrupt
dimming of vision or a sudden, severe
headache with no known cause are also
warning signs.
Arms.
Ask the person to raise both arms. If one
arm drifts downward, that could signal a
stroke, which can trigger weakness, numbness
or paralysis of an arm or leg, particularly
on one side of the body.
Speech.
Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence.
Stroke victims may slur their words, have
trouble speaking or understanding speech, or
not be able to talk at all.
Time.
If the person has any of these symptoms,
call emergency services. Stroke is a
life-or-death emergency in which every
minute counts.
Useful Tip
Two
months ago I suffered a stroke and luckily got to the hospital before it
did all that much damage. In my wallet I had a list of all medicines I
take, the dosage and when I take them. I also had a business card in my
wallet from each doctor I see and on the back the meds each doctor
prescribed. Within minutes of arriving at the hospital, the treating
doctors were notified and the delay was cut very short. I recovered
quickly and back to the daily life as before.....just something to pass
on......Joe
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