IMPORTANT HEALTH TIP: STROKE IDENTIFICATION

During a BBQ, Yoko stumbled and tool a little fall. She assured everyone that she was fine and that she had just tripped over a rock because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Yoko went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Later the same evening, she was taken to the hospital by her husband and passed away around midnight. She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had anyone known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Yoko would be with us today. Some don’t die. They end up in a helpless and hopeless condition instead. 

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 is getting a stroke recognize and, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours of the stroke.

Now doctors say that anyone can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions titled STR: 

Smile – Ask the individual to smile.

Talk – Ask the individual to say a simple sentence (e.g. it is sunny today)

Raise – Ask him or her to raise both arms. 

Another sign of a stroke is this: Ask the person to stick out the tongue. If the tongue is crooked, i.e. if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke. If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these simple tasks, call 911 immediately. Of course the person who is having the stroke may try to minimize the seriousness of the emergency because they don’t want to cause “unnecessary” concern. But do not wait even one minute. It is certainly a matter of life or death.