Most people know the most common symptoms of a heart attack, but the majority of them don’t know what to look for when determining if a person has had a stroke. A stroke is a severe medical condition of the brain which can lead almost instantly to irreversible damage to the brain and nervous system. Knowing the following techniques for stroke identification can help you catch it early to increase treatment options and improve the likelihood of survival.
Basic Stroke Identification Techniques
The basic stroke identification method involves asking the person to perform certain physical tasks that will be impossible if he or she has had a stroke. The person should be able to smile, raise his or her arm, and speak a simple sentence. If he or she cannot do these things, then call 911 immediately because a stroke is the most likely diagnosis and acting immediately can prevent brain damage.
Common symptoms
When someone has had a stroke, there is usually a sudden change in his or her mental state and the person in question may actually become unconscious or severely unaware of his or her surroundings. The most common method of stroke identification in someone with altered mental state is to look for numbness in the face, arm and leg of the person in question. This numbness or weakness will generally be confined to one side of the body.
Less severe symptoms
If the person in question is awake, aware and able to communicate, stroke identification will be much easier. Ask him if he has any of the following symptoms: severe headache, dizziness, loss of balance, or difficulty in one of both eyes. While these symptoms could have a number of causes, a stroke is definitely one of them. Since the person is awake and aware, this may be a less severe stroke, bu tit is still important to seek medical attention immediately.
A person who has a stroke will generally also experience confusion and have difficulty speaking or understanding. In order to help with stroke identification, ask the person some questions to determine his or her mental state. If the person has trouble responding to simple questions, and you see no signs of a head energy, chances are good that he or she has had a stroke.
Learning the basics of stroke identification can save the life of one of your loved ones or prevent serious permanent damage. Learn these symptoms and tests or keep them nearby so that you can save someone a great deal of hardship.
