I’ve heard of quick assessments for emergency situations
before, but I did a little search and found a way to remember what to do in a ‘stroke’
situation!
The onset of the damage from a stroke is not always
immediate; there can be up to a period of a couple hours in which someone can
be treated and the effects of the stroke would be less fatal. Like learning
first aid and CPR, there are some simple questions one can use as a basic
determinant on whether you might think someone has had a stroke, and to act
immediately.
These questions focus on facial weakness, arm weakness, and
speech disturbance
Just remember the first 3 letters of “stroke” – STR
S= SMILE! Ask the
person to smile. Another test that is common is to ‘STICK’ out their tongue. If
it is crooked to the side, that can be an indication of a stroke
T=TALK and Speak a simple sentence. Ask the person to say a
short sentence such as “It is sunny out today”
R= RAISE both arms!
If the person has trouble with any one of these symptoms, get them help quickly! You may save someone’s life!
I like that people have come up with such an easy way (STR or FAST to help people identify if someone is having a stroke. I think it is very useful in helping people get to a hospital on time, but it also may cause harm to give such clear cut rules as to what defines a stroke. In the hospital I volunteer at and online I have heard a lot about people having strokes who never showed any of the 5 classic signs. The CBS article below talks about how women are more likely than men to not show the obvious signs and this makes it a lot harder for an average person to decide if they should go to the hospital or not. The National Stroke Association even says that hiccuping can be a sign for women having a stroke, which I don't think anyone would usually assume to be abnormal. Hopefully people just don't go online and find the classic symptoms and decide from that information that they shouldn't go to the hospital. If so, it could cause more harm than good.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500368_162-2452015.html
http://www.stroke.org/site/PageServer?pagename=WOMSYMP
I am a strong supporter of stroke awareness and educating others about the signs of a stroke. As they say every second counts when having a stroke. My mother is a stroke survivor and these were some of the first things my sister noticed about her when it happened. I wish we had known these indicators it would have helped us imensely to know exactly what was happening and how quickly we needed to get help. This is something everyone should know and teach their friends and family.
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