Signs of a Stroke

[toddyboman]

I got this in a email and thought it was interesting...

THIS MAY SAVE SOMEONE'S LIFE, PERHAPS SOMEONE YOU CARE ABOUT. There is a fourth important indicator below.

STROKE:

Remember The 1st Three Letters.... S.T.R.

My nurse friend sent this and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. I agree.

If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks. Seriously..

Please read:

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) .....she said she had 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 had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die.... they end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

It only takes a minute to read this...

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 then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Thank God for the sense to remember the '3' steps, STR. Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately,

the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe

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:

S * Ask the individual to SMILE.

T* Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)

(i.e. It is sunny out today)

R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

New Sign of a Stroke -------- 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.

[Shaun_300]

Very interesting, I'll have to remember that! Thanks for sharing Todd.

[buckee]

Something to be aware of, for sure. ...thanks

[bfletch7441]

This is good to know.

Like everything else, early detection is paramount!

Thanks.

Ben

[Leo]

Time lost = Brain lost.

Don't be afraid that someone will think you're an idiot.

Take it from someone who unfortunately KNOWS, you can't feel brain damage!

Don't bother asking how that person feels. That's COMPLETELY irrelevant. They can't feel it, period. An injury to your brain can kill you and you won't feel a thing!

Signed,

The Unwilling Expert.

[KirkV]

Thanks Todd and Leo unfortunately has had the real deal! Everyone needs to be able to help other people with things as simple as first aid and identifying a potential for disaster.

[Dakota]

Thanks for the info, Todd!

Dakota

[LifeNRA]

While as an EMT, another way of checking is ask them to squeeze your fingers with each of their hands. Motor reflexes of this will also indicate a stroke, causing one side of their body to be weak. One side will have a strong squeeze, while the other side will be weak. A TIA or transient ischemic attack is also called a mini stroke, which can be confused as a stoke, or may lead up to a stroke. Either way, its very important to seek medical attention immediately!

[stevebeilgard]

good info there.

[LifeNRA]

Don't bother asking how that person feels. That's COMPLETELY irrelevant. They can't feel it, period. An injury to your brain can kill you and you won't feel a thing!

But, to the trained personnel, just the act of somebody talking back could reveal that there are signs of a stroke going on, such as slurred speech. Which will prompt them to go into other areas of testing. Its also part of patience assessment, asking how they feel.

[mrswtnhunt]

Very good advice. Another way to remember is the acronymn FAST. We learned it at the CPR instructor course. It stands for:

F--Face, you want to look at the face and see if there is any drooping, usually the first sign.

A--Arms, have the person hold both arms out in front of them. If one drops below the other it could be a sign of stroke.

S--Speech, ask the person to say something, if there is slurred speech it could mean a stroke.

T--Time, make note of the time the symptoms began.

Physicians can only give the "clot buster" drugs within 3 hours. I believe it is called Integrelin. Not sure, will have to do a little research in my nursing drug guide.

[Leo]

But, to the trained personnel, just the act of somebody talking back could reveal that there are signs of a stroke going on, such as slurred speech. Which will prompt them to go into other areas of testing. Its also part of patience assessment, asking how they feel.

I agree.

The point I was trying to make is they make in fact tell you they feel fine. How they answer is more important than the actual answer.

Untrained folks might just take the "I feel fine." answer as good enough.

[LifeNRA]

I agree.

The point I was trying to make is they make in fact tell you they feel fine. How they answer is more important than the actual answer.

Untrained folks might just take the "I feel fine." answer as good enough.

I also agree. Which is the only reason I wanted to mention if they do answer, "I feel fine." The manner on how it was answered, one needs to be alert if the speech is slurred.