Introduction
Stroke is a medical emergency, and it can happen to anyone, at any time. If you or someone else has symptoms of stroke, the most important thing to do is call for help immediately. But what if you don’t know what signs and symptoms to look for? In this article, we’ll go over everything you need to know about recognizing a stroke so that when it happens—or if you’re helping someone else who’s experiencing one—you’re ready.
Know the Signs
You should know the signs of stroke and how to tell if you’re experiencing one.
- Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body. A person may lose strength in their face on one side, which can cause speech difficulties or drooping eyelid. This often happens after a stroke occurs; however, it can occur without warning in some cases too!
- Confusion or trouble speaking and understanding others. This includes difficulty with reading and writing as well as comprehending what others say to them when they talk back at them verbally (i.e., not just signing something back). Sometimes people who have this symptom may even start repeating themselves over again just because they didn’t understand what was said originally!”
Recognize the Symptoms
>It’s important to recognize the signs of a stroke so you can quickly get help. A stroke is a medical emergency that can cause serious disability or death. The quicker you receive treatment, the better your chances are for recovery.
>While there are many different warning signs of a stroke, these three symptoms typically indicate an acute (sudden) brain attack: sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body; sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
>If you have any of these signs, call 9-1-1 immediately—do not wait to see if it goes away!
Get Help Fast
If you see someone having a stroke, or suspect that you or someone else is having one, call 911 immediately. You also can drive them to the nearest hospital if they are unable to drive themselves. It’s important to go right away because time is critical in treating stroke and brain damage can continue even after symptoms stop.
Check for Consciousness
You can test a person’s level of consciousness by asking them to follow your finger with their eyes, or by asking them to squeeze your hand.
If they respond to these commands, it’s likely that they are conscious and able to understand what is happening around them. If they don’t respond, they may be unconscious and not know where they are or what is going on around them. You should continue checking the person’s level of consciousness regularly until help arrives.
You can also check for drowsiness and confusion by gently shaking their shoulders (gently!) and speaking directly into their ear – if you have someone else present, ask them if there is any response from the patient as well as from yourself when doing this.
Call for Emergency Medical Assistance
Call 911 immediately.
Stay on the line with the operator until help arrives.
Tell the operator you think someone has had a stroke and give your name, location and phone number. Tell them if the person is breathing or conscious, and what symptoms they are experiencing (i.e., drooping face or arm, slurred speech).
Give Care Until Help Arrives
In the event you’re alone, here’s what to do:
- Check the ABCs. If you suspect someone is having a stroke, perform CPR if necessary and call 911. Then check to see if they have any of these symptoms:
- Ask yourself whether the person can speak clearly and understand what you say. If not, call 911 immediately.
- Ask yourself whether the person can walk or move normally (even if it’s slowly). If not, call 911 immediately.
The more you know about stroke, the better equipped you are to help yourself or someone else in an emergency.
The more you know about stroke, the better equipped you are to help yourself or someone else in an emergency.
- Know the signs and symptoms. A stroke is a medical emergency that needs immediate action. The sooner treatment begins, the greater your chance of full recovery.
- Recognize when to seek medical attention. As soon as symptoms appear, call 911 or have someone else make the call for you if possible; do not wait for symptoms to disappear on their own as they may be worsening quickly and require immediate treatment at a hospital or clinic equipped with advanced equipment needed for stroke care.* Give care until help arrives: If someone is having a stroke and collapses on the floor, roll them onto one side so that any vomit does not go into their mouth or nostrils (people often vomit after having a stroke). Do not attempt CPR unless trained by healthcare professionals; this can make matters worse if given incorrectly.* Get help fast: In some cases where there are no witnesses around when a person has collapsed from what appears like sudden collapse/vomiting on-site due to suspected stroke symptoms occurring suddenly within an hour of onset time frame before going down – emergency personnel will take longer than usual because they need extra time looking over all possible causes such as cardiac arrest before diagnosing any patient with possible strokes due to lack of knowledge regarding how quickly movement disabilities occur following initial symptom onset times – so instead of waiting around until someone arrives who might not know anything about first aid training beyond basic CPR procedures which isn’t enough knowledge base needed for treating patients suffering from TIA (transient Ischemic Attack) versus having just had their lives saved against death!
Conclusion
The more you know about stroke, the better equipped you are to help yourself or someone else in an emergency. With early intervention and treatment, the survival rate for stroke is high. Stroke symptoms can be subtle at first but they will get worse over time if left untreated. If you think someone is having a stroke, call 911 immediately!