Strokes affect nearly 800,000 people in the United Sates annually. They may be mild and barely noticeable or they may be severe and completely incapacitating to the side of the brain and body affected. Time is the most important factor when dealing with a stroke. Knowing the symptoms and what signs to look for can be critical in the earliest stages of care. Without immediate treatment, loss of function can be permanent and if the stroke is severe enough, death may occur.
Important Details about Strokes
Strokes affect one side of the body at a time. For example, a stroke on the left side of the brain will cause symptoms on the right side of the body and vice versa. One of the important thoughts to keep in mind about a stroke in that it is a very sudden disease. The signs seem to appear out of nowhere. Another important point is that a stroke is a critical life threatening disease and proper medical care is needed as soon as possible.
Critical Stroke Symptoms
These symptomsindicate a stroke has occurred and that emergency care is necessary.
- sudden numbness and/or weakness of one side of the body
- sudden loss of vision
- sudden confusion
- sudden inability to speak
- sudden inability to understand speech
- sudden loss of balance or coordination
- sudden inability to walk
- sudden dizziness
- sudden severe headache with no known cause
If any of these signs are present immediate action is necessary. 9-1-1 or any other local emergency service available should be notified. These symptoms may indicate a life threatening medical crisis and are very important to note.
Act F.A.S.T. for Stroke Treatment
If a stroke is suspected, there are a few immediate tests that can be done. FAST is the acronym for those steps. If the person cannot understand the directions being given or is too confused to react then a stroke is likely and it is essential to call 9-1-1.
- F (Face): Ask the possible stroke victim to smile. If one side of the face is drooping and non-responsive then a stroke is likely.
- A (Arms): Ask the person the raise both arms as high as possible. Inability to raise one or both arms may indicate a stroke.
- S (Speech): Ask the person to repeat after you or ask the person a simple question. One example, could be, “What is your name?” Again, any failure in ability to speak or words that are slurred may indicate a stroke. Repeating the words out of order may be a sign as well.
- T (Time): If any of the tests above point towards a stroke then time is of extreme importance. Note the time the signs began to appear and make an immediate call to 9-1-1.
A stroke can be rehabilitated but immediate action must be taken. If care is administered within three hours of a stroke, the odds of a significant deficit to speech or motor function is dramatically decreased in half of all stroke victims. After the three hour timeframe the odds increase that loss of function is permanent. The F.A.S.T. system of stroke detection is a simple tool that easy to learn and very important to know. It can save function and it can save lives.
Sources:
Strokecenter.org,*”Stats” (accessed June 10, 2010)
Stroke.org, *”Stroke Symptoms” (accessed June 15, 2010)
Cpmc.org, *” Window of Opportunity” (accessed June 15, 2010)
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