Stroke: Remember the 1st Three Letters..... S. T. R.
Stroke Identification
During a BBQ, Jane stumbled and took a little fall. She assured everyone that she was fine and declined the offer of 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, Jane went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.
Jane's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital, and at 6:00 PM, she passed away. She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ, and that is why she fell. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Jane would be with us today. Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within three hours, he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within three hours, which is tough.
Recognizing a Stroke
A bystander can identify a stroke by asking the person to do four simple things:
S - Ask the individual to smile.
T - Ask the person to talk and speak a simple, coherent sentence.
R- Ask him or her to raise both arms.
New one - Have the person stick out his tongue. If the tongue is crooked and cannot be held straight, that is a sign of a stroke.
If he or she has trouble with any one of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
Find the nearest hospital with a stroke center.
http://www.strokecenter.org/http://www.stroke.org/site/PageNavigator/HOME