Dignosing Symptoms Of Stroke
Diagnosis and Treatment of A Stroke
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 prognosis for full recovery is optimistic.
First, some facts about strokes and who is mmost likely to suffer one.Every minute, someone in the United States has a stroke. Nearly 775,000 persons have strokes in the U.S. each year. A third of them die and another third suffer permanent paralysis,speech loss,and/or memory loss.
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
Risk factors for having a 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.Stroke is more common among persons over 65, but it also hits younger persons as well.
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 adhere to the blood vessel walls,which clogs the arteries to the brain and causes a stroke.
Also, persons who have already had a stroke before or a TIA, a mini-stroke with no permanent damage,are much more likely to have another stroke.
Symptoms of A Stroke
Doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking the victim four simple questions:
1.) Ask the individual to SMILE. His smile will appear to be crooked if he’s having a stroke.
2.) Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)(i.e. Tom is a terrific teenager. Stroke victims will not be able to do this.
3.See if the victim can Raise Both Arms. He’ll just be able to raise one.
4.) Ask him to STICK OUT HIS TONGUE. If the person can’t stick his tongue out straight, then it’s likely a stroke is the cause.
If you or the person you’re with is having difficulty with these basic motor skill tasks, call 911 immediately.
Another symptom of a TIA or “mini stroke” is a feeling that one of your legs or arms is heavier than the other and walking or climbing up the stairs becomes difficult.The victim might trip when climbing 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 the person you’re with it, is imperative you get to a hospital immediately.You’ll get top priority for getting an immediate diagnosis and treatment. And congratulations! The odds are that you’ve survived and haven’t had any permanent damage to your brain.
But, remember, if this happens as I’ve described, you have been given a warning and need to take preventative measures to ensure you’ll live your full life.
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