Four signs of a stroke

Posted on October 25, 2010 | 4 Comments

Here’s some important information which could save lives.

Four simple indicators of a stoke.


I received this short story by email recently. It illustrates the importance of rapid stroke identification:

During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall – she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) .she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening

Ingrid’s husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital – (at 6:00 PM Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don’t die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

Neurologists say if they can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours they can totally reverse the effects of a stroke…totally. The trick is getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Recognise the symptoms

STROKE: Remember the 1st Four Letters….S.T.R.O.

Bystanders can recognize a stroke by asking four simple questions:

S *Ask the individual to SMILE.
T *Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
(I.e. It is sunny out today.)
R*Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of the first three tasks, call emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

O* Ask him to stick O*UT HIS TONGUE.

If the tongue is ‘crooked’, if it goes to one side or the other,that is also an indication of a stroke.

Remember:

Smile – Talk – Arms – Tongue

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4 responses to “Four signs of a stroke”

  1. Tim | October 25, 2010 at 10:26 am |

    I friend of mine was having Friday arvo drinks with work colleagues about a year ago. One of his mates seemed quite intoxicated, seeing as he’d only had a couple and was having difficulty sitting on his stool. He assured them that he was fine also.
    It turned out that he was having a stroke as well. If the others had known how to identify it, help could have lead to a full recovery. However, he’s now likely to need assistance the rest of his life now (and he’s only in his late 30’s).
    That was a wake up for me. Cheers for posting this Ken – simple tests/awareness can really save lives with stroke.

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  2. Helen H. | November 8, 2010 at 4:12 am |

    Kudos for good intent and I’m sorry to be a downer, but I live in America. A quick trip to the hospital can easily cost thousands of dollars, and if it turns out it’s NOT a stroke, people with insurance will find that their visit to the E.R. won’t be covered, while people without insurance will be instantly bankrupted, stroke or no stroke.

    That is the painful equation that runs through most Americans’ minds as they decide whether to rush to the hospital or wait and hope, and that is why most Americans will continue to wait and hope and all too frequently die or be disabled by strokes, and by other health crises.

    Bottom line: A society without universal health care is a savage society.

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  3. Pingback: BLABLABLACONTENIDOS.COM » Blog Archive » Four signs of a stroke

  4. raz-siood.net | November 21, 2010 at 5:58 pm |

    The researchers found the happiest other hand, seems much healthier, at different levels, both physically and mentally than those who are not.

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