Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Importance of knowing the signs of a stroke
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within three hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke . . . totally. He said the trick was having a stroke recognized, diagnosed and then getting the patient medically cared for within three hours, which is tough.
RECOGNIZING A STROKE:
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:
*Ask the individual to SMILE.
*Ask the person to TALK, to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE. (Coherently, e.g It is sunny out today)
*Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out their tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.
If he or she has trouble with any one of these tasks, call for an ambulance immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
RECOGNIZING A STROKE:
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:
*Ask the individual to SMILE.
*Ask the person to TALK, to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE. (Coherently, e.g It is sunny out today)
*Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out their tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.
If he or she has trouble with any one of these tasks, call for an ambulance immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
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