Recognizing a stroke

A friend who works as a social worker sent me an email today about how to recognize when someone has had a stroke.  The email said that a neurologist claims that, if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours, he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.  I am copying the email below:

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions that can be easily remembered by thinking of the first 3 letters of the world 'stroke' -
S. T. R.

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 these tasks, call the emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

New Sign of a Stroke - Stick out Your Tongue

Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue... If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.

Comments

[firstSTREET]

Excellent tips and suggestions for preventing and knowing the warning signs of a stroke. Some are very simple, and these are good too keep in mind no matter what your profession. Thanks for sharing!