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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.

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 paramedics) and 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 6:00pm, 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 to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (i.e. It is sunny out today.)

R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: 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. If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately!! and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

Stroke Warning Signs
The American Stroke Association says these are the warning signs of stroke:

  • Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
  • Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
  • Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
  • Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
  • Sudden, severe headache with no known cause


    • Heart Attack Warning Signs
    Some heart attacks are sudden and intense. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort.

  • Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
  • Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
  • Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
  • Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness


    • A cardiologist says if everyone who read this sends it to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved.



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    Surgery and other procedures

    Stroke surgery - Sometimes surgery is needed to treat a stroke. Some of the procedures include:

    Surgery to remove blood clots
    A hematoma is a collection of blood (the blood can be clotted or mostly clotted) found in the brain after a hemorrhagic (bleeding) stroke. Because there is not much extra room in the skull, a hematoma can dangerously increase pressure on the brain causing more brain damage. Surgery may be needed to remove the hematoma and relieve the pressure on the brain.

    Surgery to repair blood vessels
    Some hemorrhagic (bleeding) strokes are caused by a burst or ruptured blood vessel in the brain. The two common types of ruptures are aneurysms (a weak spot in the wall of the blood vessel) and arteriovenous malformation or AVM for short (an area where the blood vessels have thin walls and are prone to leaking or breaking). In some cases, surgery may be needed to repair the ruptured blood vessels. Non-surgical procedures are also sometimes an option to repair these ruptures.

    Surgery to remove plaque from the carotid artery
    When the carotid artery in the neck is partially blocked by plaque (the buildup of fatty materials, calcium and scar tissue that narrows the artery), surgery called carotid endarterectomy might be used to remove the plaque. The procedure helps prevent a first stroke or reduces the risk of a second or third stroke. It works best for people whose artery is narrowed but not completely blocked.

    The risks include stroke, heart attack and, rarely, a brain hemorrhage caused by the surge of blood released by the surgery. People with high blood pressure are at greater risk of a hemorrhage. Carotid endarterectomy is usually recommended for people who have had a TIA (transient ischemic attack) or stroke, have severe blockage of the carotid artery or are likely to recover well from surgery.

    Non-surgical procedures
    These procedures use a thin, narrow, flexible tube called a catheter, which is inserted into the body, usually in the groin, and threaded through the blood vessels to the carotid arteries in the neck.

    Carotid angioplasty and stenting
    This is a newer type of procedure that is similar to angioplasty and stenting often done in the coronary arteries of the heart. The procedure involves using a balloon-like device to open a clogged artery. Then, a small metal stent is put in place to help keep the artery open.

    Coiling aneurysms
    Aneurysms are weak spots in the walls of blood vessels that can rupture and cause bleeding (hemorrhage) in the brain. If an aneurysm ruptures (causing a subarachnoid hemorrhage), immediate surgery may be required. If an aneurysm has not ruptured, it can sometimes be treated by filling the blood vessel with tiny flexible coils made of platinum. This procedure can only be performed if the aneurysm has not yet ruptured and the patient has an appropriate neck size. The coils are put into place by a catheter that is threaded through the blood vessels.