Stroke Symptoms

Signs Of A 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 odds are good that the victim will not only survive but have a complete recovery.

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 can be caused by any one of several factors, but basically the immediate cause is a blockage of blood to the brain by plaque build up in the carotid artery or by a piece of plaque breaking free and blocking blood to the brain.

Persons Who Are At Risk

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 are less able to carry oxygen to the body’s tissues and organs. They also can stick to the walls of the blood vessels, which can block arteries to the brain, causing a stroke.
Prior stroke victims are more likely to suffer another stroke than the general population.

Symptoms of A Stroke

Doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking the victim four simple questions:

1.Ask the person to flash a big smile at you. If he’s having a stroke, he won’t be able to smile normally–his smile wille be distorted.
2.) Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)(i.e. It is sunny out today). If the person is having a stroke, he will find this difficult to do.
3.See if the victim can Raise Both Arms. He’ll only be able to raise one.
4.Ask the person to stick out his or her 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 fall as he climbs the stairs because one leg just didn’t clear the stair all the way, resulting in tripping. The victim loses his or her sense of balance and might even fall over and then 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 immediately be taken into the medical ward and be given tests to determine if it is a stroke and immediate treatment if it is. And congratulations! You’ll likely survive and escape any permanent damage.

If you have this experience and everything works out ok, remember that this is a warning and lifestyle changes are mandatory to keep another, more serious stroke from happening again.