How to identify a stroke

[chickwhorips]

Some good information:

STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters...S.T.R.

My friend sent this to me 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) and that 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.
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 to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE
(Coherently) (i.e. . . It is sunny out today)
R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

*NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out their tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.
If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately !! and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved.

[Bikingmomof3]

Very good CWR.

[chickwhorips]

i had to post it because of you.

[Bikingmomof3]

Aaawwww, thanks.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Great info! I will remember this info well, because my mother had a couple of strokes. The crooked smile thing really hits home for me.

[Popoki_Nui]

...or sometimes none of these symptoms, as in the case of my MIL 2 weeks ago. She just felt exhausted and weak in the legs, which was nothing new as she has been getting weaker in the legs for several years. Pupils were equal and reactive, equal strength in both arms and legs, symmetrical smile. It didn't look like any stroke symptoms I'd ever heard of. Sure enough, after the second day in the hospital, she developed the classic one-sided paralysis of a stroke.
Ya just never know....

[kellichou]

http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/stroke.asp

Thank you for the valuable information. I always like to check out what Snopes has to say about a topic, and Mikkelson says that the "tongue sticking out" is less valuable than the first 3 suggestions. But those first 3 things to look for are handy reference points.

Time is of the essence when dealing with a potential stroke--time lost is brain lost. The MOST important thing is getting the person to a hospital as soon as humanly possible. It's also good to beware of nonsense "advice" being tacked onto sound advice--some of the emails going around actually recommend such nonsense as bloodletting from the victim's ears and fingers (!), and driving slowly to the hospital "to prevent further damage" (!). Can you BELIEVE the drivel that some people will throw out there?

Again, no need to waste time--if you have reason to believe a loved one is experiencing a stroke or TIA, call an ambulance. Calling an ambulance immediately is what saved my SO's mother's life a few years ago when she had her stroke.