What are the early signs of stroke? Recognize the symptoms F.A.S.T. before it's too late. Early detection calls for early treatment!
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What is Stroke?
As all parts of our body need oxygen, so does our brain. The brain gets oxygen from the blood.
“ A Stroke happens when the blood flow to the brain is cut off suddenly, causing the brain cells to become damaged. As a result, body functions that are controlled by the damaged brain cells are affected and will not be functioning properly.”
How do you know when you have a stroke?
Let’s recognise some early signs of stroke for us to take early precaution either for ourselves or our family members, friends and relatives. Early treatment will make a big difference between recovery and disability. Below are some checkpoints to help us act F.A.S.T. :
F-acial Weakness. Check for any facial drooping such as eye or mouth or even one side of the face. Look at the person’s smile whether his smile is lopsided or uneven. Ask for any feeling of numbness on his face.
A-rm Weakness. Ask the person to raise both arms to check whether one of his arms drift downwards and whether his arm feels numb or weak.
S-peech Difficulty. Recognize the person’s speech whether his speech has become slurred or hard to understand. Check whether the person can speak clearly by asking him to repeat a simple sentence.
T-ime to call. If you notice that the person has one of these symptoms and even if the symptoms have gone away, you should immediately call 955 (for Singapore area) or proceed to a hospital directly.
Some other symptoms that we need to take note will be:
Sudden numbness - on the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body.
Sudden confusion - having problems in speaking and understanding speech.
Sudden problem in vision - one or both eyes having trouble in seeing.
Sudden problem in walking - due to dizziness, balance/coordination problems.
Sudden headache - a severe headache like never before.
Sudden difficulty in swallowing
Recognize it F.A.S.T. before it’s too late!
You may also look at Ways to prevent Stroke or visit Singapore National Stroke Association for more information regarding this.
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References
Singapore National Stroke Association (website)
American Stroke Association (website)