Stroke Identification- A Simple Test

***Important - It would be good to pay attention. There may be a test later in life!

Signs and Symptoms of Stroke

A stroke, or cerebrovascular accident, occurs when the blood supply to the brain is cut off (an ischemic stroke) or when a blood vessel bursts (a hemorrhagic stroke). Without oxygen, brain cells begin to die. Death or permanent disability can result. High blood pressure, smoking, and having had a previous stroke or heart attack increase a person’s chances of having a stroke. With timely treatment, the risk of death and disability from stroke can be lowered. It is very important to know the symptoms of a stroke and act right away.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke notes these five major signs of stroke:

Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arms, or legs.

Sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding others.

Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.

Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination.

Sudden severe headache with no known cause.

All of the major symptoms of stroke appear suddenly, and often there is more than one symptom at the same time.

If you think someone is having a stroke, you should call 9–1–1 or emergency medical services immediately.  Receiving immediate treatment is critical in lowering the risk of disability and even death.

From the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, CDC

http://www.cdc.gov/stroke/signs_symptoms.htm

Keep reading for the Simple Test that follows…

A SIMPLE TEST

For us dummies… OK, laypersons… here’s a quick test you can perform to potentially determine if the individual may have suffered a stroke. There’s enough of a factual basis for this to make it worth doing – and it’s easy to remember.

Just remember the first three letters of “stroke”: S-T-R

S - Ask the individual to SMILE.

T - Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
For example – “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 emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

Additional Information from the American Stroke Association

“If you or someone with you has one or more of these signs, don't delay! Immediately call 9-1-1 or the emergency medical services (EMS) number so an ambulance (ideally with advanced life support) can be sent for you. Also, check the time so you'll know when the first symptoms appeared. It's very important to take immediate action. If given within three hours of the start of symptoms, a clot-busting drug called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) can reduce long-term disability for the most common type of stroke. tPA is the only FDA-approved medication for the treatment of stroke within three hours of stroke symptom onset.

A TIA or transient ischemic attack is a "warning stroke" or "mini-stroke" that produces stroke-like symptoms but no lasting damage. Recognizing and treating TIAs can reduce your risk of a major stroke. The usual TIA symptoms are the same as those of stroke, only temporary. The short duration of these symptoms and lack of permanent brain injury is the main difference between TIA and stroke.”

From the American Stroke Association, A Division of the American Heart Association

http://www.strokeassociation.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1020

Remember… S – T – R !

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