Stroke Recognition   

i  Are you ready to respond to an emergency?  Can you recognize a stroke victim?  Here is a report from BJ Boak.

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

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.

STROKE: Remember  the 1st Three Letters....STR

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)  Example:  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  emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

A new Sign of a Stroke can be their tongue.

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.

This article is provided as information only.  Consult your doctor or nurse for any diagnosis.  This information in made available to provide you with a simple guide to possible stroke recognition.