Stroke Identification - Prevent Brain Damage
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Stroke Identification - Prevent Brain Damage
Author
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During
a BBQ a friend stumbled and took a little fall. She assured everyone that
she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and just tripped over a brick
because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate
of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying
herself the rest of the evening.
Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to
the hospital (at 6:00
pm, Ingrid passed away). She suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they
known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us
today.
Recognizing a Stroke
Medical professionals state that getting to a stroke victim within 3 hours
can be instrumental in reversing the effects of a stroke. The trick is
getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and getting to the patient within 3
hours ... which can be tough.
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately,
the lack of awareness can spell 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: Ask the individual to:
1. SMILE
2. RAISE BOTH ARMS
3. SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (coherently, such as ... It is sunny out
today). If he or she has trouble with any of these tasks, call 9-1-1
immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
After discovering that a group of non-medical volunteers could identify facial
weakness, arm weakness and speech problems, researchers urged the general public
to learn the three questions. They
presented their conclusions at the American Stroke Association's annual
meeting. Widespread use of this test could result in prompt diagnosis and
treatment of the stroke and prevent brain damage.
