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STROKE:
Remember The 1st Three Letters...
S.T.R.
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.
Doctors
say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
S
*
Ask the
individual to
SMILE
.
(If the smile is lopsided, a stroke is likely to have occured.)
T
*
Ask the
person to
TALK
to
SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE
(If the speech is slurred, a stroke is likely to have occured.)
(Coherently) (i.e. It is sunny out today)
R
*
Ask him or
her to
RAISE BOTH ARMS.
(If he or she cannot raise one arm, a stroke is likely to have occured.)
*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.