Spot a Stroke F.A.S.T.

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain is blocked because of a blood clot or rupture. Both of these actions cause brain cells to die and damage may occur to your brain. When brain cells die you can even lose basic functions such as speech or movement. Everyone is affected differently depending on where the stroke occurred and how much damage was caused. There are many people who have completely recovered from strokes, but almost 70% of survivors will have some type of disability. You can keep your health in line by monitoring yourself on a regular basis with home diagnostic equipment.

F.A.S.T. is the easiest way to remember the signs of a stroke. When you spot the signs, you’ll know what to do.

• Face Drooping - Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person's smile uneven? 
• Arm Weakness - Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward? 
• Speech Difficulty - Is speech slurred? Is the person unable to speak or hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like "The sky is blue." Is the sentence repeated correctly? 
• Time to call 911 - If someone shows any of these symptoms (even if the symptoms go away), call 911 and get the person to the hospital immediately. Look at the time so you'll know when the first symptoms appeared.

Beyond F.A.S.T. there are still other symptoms you should know. The following may all be symptoms when someone is suffering from a stroke:

• Numbness or weakness of the leg. 
• Confusion or trouble understanding. 
• Trouble seeing in one or both eyes. 
• Dizziness, loss of balance or coordination. 
• Severe headache with no known cause.

If you’re having a stroke, it’s critical that you get medical attention right away. Immediate treatment may minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death. Thanks to recent medical advances, stroke treatments and survival rates have improved greatly over the last decade. Products like the 5Star Urgent Response could be the difference between life and death during a stroke. A significant number of stroke victims don’t get to the hospital in time for treatment; this is why it’s so important to identify a stroke immediately and be able to act fast.

Sources

American Stroke Association