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 recognise the symptoms of a stroke.
I hope you will never need to use this information (it only takes a few minutes to read) but knowing what to look for and sharing this material could make all the difference.
Please share this information with your family and friends. It is estimated that if you share this with 10 people, you stand a chance of saving one life.
Consider this:
During a lunch BBQ, Jane 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, Jane went about enjoying herself the rest of the afternoon.
Jane’s husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital. At 6pm Jane passed away. She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had the other guests 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, suffering immensely for the rest of their lives.
Neurologists say that if they can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours they are likely to totally reverse the effects of a stroke. The trick is getting a stroke recognised, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours.
Recognising stroke
You can recognise a stroke by the four signs FAST:
- Facial weakness – ask the person to smile; have their mouth or eyes drooped on one side?
- Arm weakness – can the person raise both arms?
- Speech difficulty – can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?
- Time – is critical. Act FAST and call 000 (in Australia or 911 in the US) immediately.
In addition, there is another sign – the condition of the tongue. Ask the person to stick out his/her tongue. If the tongue is ‘crooked’ i.e. if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke.
If you suddenly experience any of these symptoms, get to a hospital immediately.
Facial weakness, arm weakness and difficulty with speech are the most common signs of stroke, but they are not the only signs. Other signs of stroke may include one, or a combination of:
- Weakness or numbness or paralysis of the face, arm or leg on either or both sides of the body
- Difficulty speaking or understanding
- Dizziness, loss of balance or an unexplained fall
- Loss of vision, sudden blurring or decreased vision in one or both eyes
- Headache, usually severe and abrupt onset or unexplained change in the pattern of headaches
- Difficulty swallowing
- The signs of stroke may occur alone or in combination and they can last a few seconds or up to 24 hours and then disappear.
When you recognise the signs of stroke call 000 in Australia (or the emergency number in your country) immediately.
Good health and blessings
Joanna Sochan
Holistic Health and Lifestyle Therapist
Natural and Lifestyle Solutions for Chronic Diseases