The condition of stroke is a medical emergency which requires quick symptom recognition and prompt treatment. Stroke occurs when the brain cells begin to die due to reduced or interrupted blood supply to the brain. One may reduce any chances of brain damage by taking a quick call. Some common signs of a stroke in both men and women are:
Weakness and numbness
If the patient complains of sudden weakness, do not take it lightly. If the symptoms exceed to numbness on one side of the face or in one leg or an arm, call emergency services.
Loss of vision or hand eye coordination
Random loss of vision is often associated with stroke. Low strength, poor hand-eye coordination, feeling no or very little sensation, blurry speech, or finding trouble in understanding directions or speech is another alarming sign of stroke. This symptom may get worse over time. If a patient complains of sudden dim or blurry vision, especially in one eye, it should not be brushed off. This can be riskier than it seems.
Unexplained falls
If the patient falls suddenly or trips due to loss of balance, there may be something wrong. Unexplained falls along with nausea, vomiting, fever all signal towards a cardiovascular problem. Some patients may experience hiccups or have trouble swallowing right before a stroke.
Severe headaches
Headaches should never be ignored. If your head starts hurting suddenly or you experience severe cluster headaches with no other cause in sight, ask help from someone around you. Most patients pass out quickly followed by complaining of severe headache. Fainting briefly or noticing dizziness should not be ignored.
FAST stroke recognition
In order to recognize the signs of a stroke and what to do as you or anyone around you experience it, experts use the acronym FAST. By using the FAST test, you can check for the most common symptoms of a stroke in yourself or someone else. FAST stands for the following actions:
Face - Ask the person to smile. Watch to see if they are able to smile or if their face droops. Arms - Tell the person to raise both their arms. Note if one of his arms goes weak or sags. Speech - Have the person read something or say a simple sentence. Watch to see if you hear slurred speech or strange words. Time - Time counts if the answer to any of the above is yes. Call emergency service immediately.
When treating stroke, minutes matter. Do not try to put the patient into your car and drive him to the hospital yourself. Calling an ambulance can be a better response. The medical staff of the hospital can judge the patient’s situation sooner. Depending on the type of stroke, doctors may prescribe you powerful clot-busting drugs or aspirin within 3 hours of when your symptoms started. Early access to the treatment may prevent chances of disability or death.
