Signs of a Stroke
Quick diagnosis and treatment of a stroke is vital. A neurologist has said that if he can get to a stroke victim within three hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke…totally. Awareness campaigns are trying to educate people to recognize the signs of a stroke and get medical help fast.
RECOGNIZING A STROKE
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster and a stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the signs.
The UK NHS campaign, Act FAST uses the F*A*S*T acronym to check for signs:
FACE - can they smile?
ARMS - can they raise their arms?
SPEECH - can they talk clearly, or is it slurred?
TIME - if they can’t manage all three easily, call 999.
Another campaign uses a slightly different mnemonic (S*T*R - the first three letters of STROKE) but the result is the same: SMILE - TALK - RAISE BOTH ARMS. Again, if they have trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call the emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
A fourth sign is to ask the person to ’stick’ out his tongue: if the tongue is ‘crooked’, or if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.