Symptoms of a Stroke Necessitate Immediate Hospital Attention

When it comes to getting help for a stroke victim, every second counts. Studies have shown that the sooner you seek medical attention for stroke symptoms, the better chance you will have of having the best improvement. For this reason, knowing the warning signs of a stroke is imperative for your health and the health of those you love.

Signs and Symptoms of a stroke include the following: sudden trouble speaking and understanding, sudden confusion, sudden weakness or numbness of the arm, leg or face, particularly on one side of the body, sudden dizziness, loss of coordination or balance, or trouble walking, sudden loss of vision or trouble seeing in one or both eyes, and/or the sudden onset of a severe headache. These warning signs can appear in any combination. In fact, you might only experience one of these warning signs.

If you or someone you are with experience any of these signs, you should seek medical attention immediately. Call 911 for help. Keep track of when the symptoms start and when they stop. Just because you only have a symptom for a short period of time does not mean you don’t need medical attention. Even if they last for less than a minute, they still need medical attention. Don’t refuse medical help if you have these warning signs and, if someone else is having these signs, don’t let them refuse medical help either.

There are different tests you can do to help assess warning signs. They fall under the acronym "ACT F.A.S.T". If you ask the person to smile, does one side of their Face droop? If you ask the person to raise both Arms, does one arm drift down? If you ask the person to repeat a simple phrase or sentence, is their Speech slurred and can they repeat it correctly? Remember that Time is essential when it comes to seeking medical help. Studies have shown that getting a stroke patient medical help within the first 90 minutes can significantly impact the likelihood of improvement whereas patients who waited longer than 6 hours have almost no benefits for stroke treatment. When in doubt, it is better to be safe than sorry. Your health and the health of those around you is more important than anything else.