Simple medical information-S.T.R.

[Miriam C.]

Hi all,
I thought I would share this with the group.
Aunti M

This was forwarded to me. It seems like good info to have and appears to match Web MD's description of Stroke identification. http://www.webmd.com/content/article/117/112438.htm



Anyway if awareness helps one person it is worth reading.



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 y 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 peon ple 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.

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people; y ou can bet that at least one life will be saved.

[PaulC]

Good info Miriam. We all need to be aware of this insidious ailment.

Cheers
Paul

[Nytewyng]

Well done... Auntie M ....As an RN/EMT ...STR....I agree... learn it, like you learned the Heimlich AS an aside, since most of us here are near or past the half century mark, a staple in everyones Galley should be a small bottle of aspirin , regular strength ....could save a life while awaiting the medics to find the campsite....

[dacrazyrn]

a staple in everyones Galley should be a small bottle of aspirin , regular strength ....could save a life while awaiting the medics to find the campsite....

For chest pain that is. Not for a stroke. It could be a hemorrhagic stroke (bleeding in the brain) and just make the blood thinner and increase/prolong bleeding.