During a BBQ, a woman 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, Jane went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Jane's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm Jane passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Jane would be with us today. Each year 700,000 people suffer a stroke. Five hundred thousand of these strokes are first occurrences, while the rest are repeat strokes. Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead. A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough. You just need to remember the first three letter of the work stroke… S.T.R Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. 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: 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 emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher. New Sign of a Stroke --- Stick out Your Tongue If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke.
Exactly what is a stroke? What is a Stroke? A stroke, or "brain attack," occurs when blood circulation to the brain fails. Brain cells can die from decreased blood flow and the resulting lack of oxygen. There are two broad categories of stroke: those caused by a blockage of blood flow and those caused by bleeding. While not usually fatal, a blockage of a blood vessel in the brain or neck, called an ischemic stroke, is the most frequent cause of stroke and is responsible for about 80 percent of strokes. These blockages stem from three conditions: the formation of a clot within a blood vessel of the brain or neck, called thrombosis; the movement of a clot from another part of the body such as the heart to the neck or brain, called embolism; or a severe narrowing of an artery in or leading to the brain, called stenosis. Bleeding into the brain or the spaces surrounding the brain causes the second type of stroke, called hemorrhagic stroke.
So what can cause a stroke? The three top risk factors are high blood pressure, smoking, and diabetes. These top three risk factors are also treatable. Talk to your physician about medications, diets, and appropriate exercise to reduce your chances of stroke. Statistics show that lifestyle changes can cut your changes of death by stroke in half.
According to American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee
•The risk for stroke in blacks is almost twice that of whites.
•Over 43% of people over 85 have suffered a silent stroke.
•The estimated total cost of stroke for 2007 is $62.7 billion.
•Up to 40% of people in a recent study could not identify a single symptom of stroke.
If you think you are at risk, talk with your doctor. Learn what you can do to reduce your chance of death or disability from stroke.
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