[skimo]

This section of stroke education (part 2) focuses on the signs and symptoms (S/Sx) of a stroke.

These are sudden development of symptoms, versus symptoms that have developed over months or even years.

Typical S/Sx include sudden development of:

• Difficulty with walking, loss of balance or coordination.
• Numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.
• Difficulty speaking, slurred speech or difficulty understanding another person’s speech.
• Trouble seeing in one or both eyes. Sometimes double vision occurs.
• Severe headache.

What do you do if you are with someone who you think may be having a stroke? Ask them to smile…look to see if both corners of the mouth go up, or is one side drooping? Can they tell you their name and where they are? Is their speech clear or slurred? Ask them to raise both arms over their head…can they do it? Does one arm move as usual, while the other is limp or only partially moving? Are they able to walk or is their balance off?

If you suspect someone might be having a stroke, call 911 immediately. Do not wait to see if perhaps they ‘will get better.’ Take note of the current time, as this information will be needed later. Minutes count!

The majority of strokes are ischemic strokes, and a medication called tPA,(Tissue Plasminogen Activator) can be used to treat this type of stroke. Ischemic strokes are caused by a clot, and tPA is a ‘clot-buster.’

There is a window of time (approximately 3 hours) where tPA can be used. Prior to a MD administering this medication, diagnostic tests need to be performed to confirm that the person is having a stroke and is an ischemic stroke, not a hemorrhagic stroke. These tests take time to perform and to get the results back, therefore it is important that people get to the ER immediately.