|
Stroke is the #1 cause of disability in America. Each year, there are 750,000 new cases of stroke, which means, we ALL need to know the signs of a stroke! Recently, there have been some emails circulating that tell stories of people who have suffered from stroke while bystanders did not realize and hours later, the person was found dead. The message is important, but there is a problem with the information contained in them. The flaw in these emails is the suggestion that three questions should be asked of the potential victim in order to determine if a stroke is the culprit and the assertion that these three questions will increase the number of people who will get help or not, depending on how the questions are answered. The Suggested Questions - Ask the victim to smile.
- Ask the victim to say a simple sentence.
- Ask the victim to raise both arms.
- Ask the victim to stick out their tongue (if it is not straight, it could be stroke)
The problem is that some people suffering a stroke can perform all of these tasks while still suffering from stroke and may recieve a false assurance not seek treatment. If a person suffering from a stroke receives treatment within three hours of symptom onset, the damage is reversible. If not, death or disability are almost inevitable. When in doubt, call 9-1-1!
America's National Stroke Association lists the following as common symptoms of stroke:
- Sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness,
loss of balance or coordination
- Sudden severe headache with no known cause
Strokes are not only for the elderly, they happen to all ages. Be prepared!
|
Communication 
