STROKE: Remember -
The 1st Three Letters .... S.T.R
My nurse friend sent this and encouraged me to post it and spread the word.
I agree.
If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks.
Seriously..
Please read:
STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone
that she was fine (they offered to call param edics) .... 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.
It only takes a minute to read this...
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.
RECOGNIZING A STROKE
Thank God for the sense to remember the '3' steps, STR. Read
and learn!
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:
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 ANYONE of these tasks,
call *999/911/000 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher. (* get emergency help - ambulance, doctor, hospital etc...)
New Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue
NOTE: 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.
REMEMBER - A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this message sends it to
10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved.
