Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Identify a Stroke - You could save a Life

STROKE: Remember the 3 letters... S.T.R.


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If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks.

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During a Camp Fire, 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. She went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Her husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital – and at 6:00pm, our friend passed away.
She had suffered a stroke at the Camp Fire. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today.


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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.
The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster.
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) (e.g. "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 999 / Ambulance immediately!! And describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

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.

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

....and it could be your own.....

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