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I received an email from a fellow BlogHer Nina Burokas yesterday, she suggested that I consider a post on stroke, and the three simple signs that we all should be aware of. Noticing one or more of these signs, and getting someone appropriate medical attention, could be the difference between recovery and death. I agree with Nina that this is very important information, and the more that it is blogged about, the more people that might be saved from understanding these signs of a stroke.
And, to any other BlogHers reading...I am open to any and all ideas for health and wellness posts, in fact I welcome them. I have a lot of confidence in my ability to research these subjects and write about them...However, "bloggers block" sometimes strikes and I need a little nudge in the "idea department". So please...SEND ME ALL YOUR IDEAS FOR HEALTH AND WELLNESS POSTS...(you can send some to Denise and Amanda too...but I think my "bloggers-block" is more serious than theirs, therefore I need many more ideas). Thanks.
Now about this topic. Stroke. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Someone suffers a stroke every 45 seconds, and nearly 168,000 die annually. Stroke is also a leading cause of severe, long-term disability as it can cause paralysis, vision problems, memory loss and speech problems.
Despite these staggering statistics, only 2% of American adults name stroke as the disease or health condition concerning them most, and 50% of adults do not believe they are even at risk for stroke.
A simple awareness of the early signs that a person is having a stroke, can lead to the patient getting medical attention within the first three hours of the stroke, and being successfully treated. See this (33 sec.) PSA...
Here is a link to an interactive graphic from MSNBC about the causes of stroke. Let's take some time to learn the three most important signs that can help you recognize if you or someone you know is having a stroke. It's been referred to as S-T-R...
S = Smile. Ask the person you suspect as being in trouble to smile. If their smile is uneven, crooked, or they are just having trouble trying to smile, this could be an important sign that they need to seek medical attention.
T = Talk. If you are talking to someone that can normally speak coherently and they begin to slur or have trouble with their speech, this is another important sign to seek immediate medical attention.
R = Raise both arms. Ask a person you suspect could be having a stroke to raise both their arms. If they can not, or have trouble raising just one arm, this is another important sign to seek medical attention.
*Just for the record, and I want this to be very clear - When I say "seek immediate medical attention", I mean call 9-1-1 or get to a hospital immediately! I do not mean, call your doctor. This is no time to wait for a doctors appointment, get to a hospital immediately.
The reason these signs happen, is because a stroke is attacking one side of the brain or the other. If a person has a stroke on the left side of their brain, their right side will be affected. If a person has a stroke on the right side of their brain, the left side will be affected. So, noticing a person having trouble with one side of their body, or droopiness to one side of their body is a very important early warning sign. The onset of these symptoms are not only ways to recognize the stroke, they are clear signs of the permanent affects this person will have if they do not get immediate help (and they are lucky enough to survive). As you saw in the above video, three hours is the time this person has to get medical treatment before their symptoms become pertinent (or kills them).
This is a (one minute) PSA from a man who waited six hours before seeking medical attention for the symptoms he was having, three hours too late to make a complete recovery.
Here is an article that BlogHer Kristin Park wrote
