Stroke awareness

This came to my inbox today from TK so I decided to put it here. Everyone reading this will know of someone whose quality of life has been severely curtailed as a result of a stroke, so please take the time to read through this information. Who knows, some day it may enable you to help a stroke victim by getting them the medical attention they need in time.

My good friend sent this and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. I agree.
If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks. Seriously.. Please read:
STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
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
Thank God for the sense to 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 . Now 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) (i.e. 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 999/911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: 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.


6 comments:

gemmak said...

That's really helpful...hopefully none of us are ever in the position of needing this advice but it's good to know just in case.

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Of course the symptoms might simply mean the person is pissed out of their mind!

Jennytc said...

I'm with you on that, Gemmak.
YP, let's hope I never have to rely on you for help if I am ever in that position!!

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Actually, I think I would make a great nurse. If you were in that position, I would help you into bed and then comfort you.

Jennytc said...

I'll have to take your word for it on that, YP!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the advice. Of course I hope I never need it. But it's one of the things it best to know about.

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