May is National Stroke Month

Are you educated on what to do if someone you know has a stroke?

Please see the picture below or log onto http://www.stroke.org/

 to learn more about strokes!

Acting fast can help your loved one survive!

STROKE...what you should know.

STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters... S.T..R ...
My friend sent this to me ...and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. I agree. If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks.

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
During a party, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. (they offered to call ambulance)

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 6:00pm , Ingrid passed away.)
She had suffered a stroke at the party . 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...

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

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

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 * = TALK. Ask the person to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (eg '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 ambulance and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

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


from a facebook post 

Lets Review Strokes - Are you at risk?

WHAT IS A STROKE?
• A stroke or “brain attack” occurs when blood circulation to the brain fails.

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES?
• There are 2 kinds of strokes, with the most common being ischemic stroke.
• Ischemic stroke is caused by a blood clot that blocks or plugs a blood vessel to the brain.
• The other type of stroke is called hemorrhagic and is caused by a blood vessel that breaks and bleeds into the brain.

WARNING SIGNS OF A STROKE?
• Sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion or trouble talking or understanding speech
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness or loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause

RISK FACTORS FOR A STROKE
• High Blood Pressure
• Cigarette Smoking
• Heart disease
• Warning signs or history of stroke
• Diabetes

If you think you or someone you know is having a stroke, CALL 911

The information came from the National Institutes of Health Stroke Quarterly Training