Chronic Diseases

Quick Stroke Diagnosis Saves Lives

Recognizing Signs of a Stroke And Quick Treatment

If you or someone you know is having a stroke, a quick diagnosis and treatment might be the difference between life or death or permanent paralysis if the stroke victim survives. So it is essential that you know the signs of a stroke.If you can get the stroke victim to the hospital within three hours of the attack, the odds are good that the victim will not only survive but have a complete recovery.

First, some facts about strokes and who is mmost likely to suffer one.Strokes kill one person each minute in the U.S. alone. Of the 750,000 victims each year, one-third die, and another third suffer permanent paralysis, loss of speech or memory lapses.

Strokes are caused by plaque build up in the arteries or by a plaque fragment that breaks free and lodges in the brain, shutting off the blood supply.

Risk Factors

Persons who are at risk for stroke are:
1) Hereditary–If a person comes from a family where other members have suffered strokes.
2) Gender–Women are more likely to have a stroke than men.
3) Age–The chance of having a stroke approximately doubles for each decade of life after age 55.  While stroke is common among the elderly, a lot of people under 65 also have strokes.
4) Race–African Americans are more likely to have one than are Caucasians.
5) Medical History–Sickle cell anemia. Sickled red blood cells carry less oxygen to the rest of the body. They also can stick to the walls of the blood vessels, which can block arteries to the brain, causing a stroke.
Persons who are prior stroke victims or who have had a mini stroke, called a TIA, are much more likely to have another stroke.

Diagnosing A Stroke

Doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking the victim four simple questions:

1.) Ask the individual to SMILE. If he’s having a stroke, he won’t be able to smile normally–his smile wille be distorted.
2.) Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)(i.e. Ann is a great homemaker. If the person is having a stroke, he will find this difficult to do.
3.) Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS. He won’t be able to raise both arms.
4.) Ask him to STICK OUT HIS TONGUE. If the victim’s tongue looks crooked or doesn’t stick out straight, the odds are that a stroke has happened to him.
If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

Another sign that you’ve had a TIA, or mini-stroke, is a heaviness in your leg or legs that makes it unusually difficult to walk or climb the stairs.The victim might trip going up the stairs because one leg didn’t clear a stair. A victim is likely to lose his balance if he gets up out of a chair quickly and might fall down and have difficulty getting up.

If this happens to you or someone you’re with, go to the hospital immediately and tell the receptionist you’re suffering from or are with someone else who is exhibiting possible stroke symptoms.You’ll immediately be taken into the medical ward and be given tests to determine if it is a stroke and immediate treatment if it is. And you dodged a bullet today! The odds are that you’ve survived and haven’t had any permanent damage to your brain.

If you have this experience and everything works out ok, remember that this is a warning and lifestyle changes are mandatory to keep another, more serious stroke from happening again.