STROKE - HEALTH INFORMATION

STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters.... S.T.R.

STROKE IDENTIFICATION: The opinion of mostNeurologists is that if they can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours they can totally reverse the effects of a stroke... totally . 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 and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)(i.e. 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 999/911 immediatelyand describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

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.

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A MESSAGE FROM Margaret Masarik -TEXAS VIA NEW YORK