Know the Signs of a Stroke

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Did you know that a stroke (also known as a CVA or cerebral vascular accident) often results in a wide variety of long-term problems? The type of problem depends on which parts of the brain the stroke affected.

Did you also know that we can prevent or minimize many of these problems with prompt medical treatment? There’s a small window of time during which they must start some treatments for them to be effective. For this reason, everyone needs to know the signs of a stroke!

First, let’s look at several common long-term effects of a stroke:

• Paralysis or weakness on one side of the body
• Difficulty speaking or understanding speech
• Emotional changes such as depression, frustration, anger, fear, and anxiety
• Impaired ability to control bladder and/or bowel function
• Blind spots in the field of vision
• Memory loss or confusion
• Difficulty swallowing

Most people who experience a stroke see some improvement in these areas as a result of going through an excellent rehab program. But it’s so much better to prevent these complications from happening in the first place.

Wouldn’t you do anything and everything you could to help prevent someone from living with these long-term effects? To begin with, you must learn the signs that someone might be experiencing a stroke.

A great tool is the FAST scale. It shows you how to look for facial drooping, arm weakness, and speech difficulty as signs of a stroke. Check out this excellent resource from the American Stroke Association for more detailed information. Important update: The FAST scale now contains two more letters. The new scale becomes BEFAST. The “B” stands for balance (a sudden loss of balance or coordination), and the “E” stands for eyes (a sudden change in vision).

Unsure if it’s a stroke? Always call 911 anyway, so medical professionals can evaluate the person. Maybe you’ll save a life!