You spend 3 hours in traffic everyday…this is how long a patient with an acute stroke has to get to an appropriate facility that could save them from a lifetime of disability.
Someone you know or you will probably have a stroke in your lifetime, early diagnosis and immediate referral could make all the difference.
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.
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 AN AMBULANCE and get the patient to a STROKE APPROPRIATE FACILITY.
NOTE : Another ‘sign’ of a stroke is
- Ask the person to ‘stick’ out their tongue.
- If the tongue is ‘crooked’, if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke.
Remember these ‘3’ steps, STR . Read, Learn and Teach someone!