What is a Stroke?
- A stroke is acute disruption of blood flow to an area of the brain.
- Either blockages or ruptures in the blood vessels of the brain cause absence of blood flow.
- This will result in brain cell death in minutes.
What does a person having a stroke experience?
BE FAST (Each letter in the acronym stands for a warning sign of stroke)
- B – Balance Problems. Unsteady gait, dizziness, or headaches as a person tries to maintain balance.
- E – Eye or vision problems. Loss of sight, doubled or blurred vision.
- F – Facial weakness or drooping. Tingling sensation on one side of the face.
- A – Asymmetrical weakness/strength loss or tingling sensation in the arm, leg or both.
- S – Speech difficulty. Slurred, garbled or nonsensical words.
- T – If any of the symptoms above are observed, time is of the essence. Call 911 right away.
What do you do, if you suspect a person is having a stroke?
- It is important that the time symptoms first occur is noted.
- Do not give them medication, food, or drinks.
- Do not let the person go to sleep.
- Do not let the person refuse emergency services.
- Even if symptoms vanish
- Call 911 immediately.
- The quicker a stroke patient can receive treatment, the better.
Medlife.com