loonshi

STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters... S.T.R.

My friend sent this to me and encouraged me to post it and spread the word.
I agree. If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some
folks. Seriously.. Please read:

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured
everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and just
tripped over a brick 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, Ingrid
went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid's husband called
later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at
6:00pm , Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they
known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us
today. Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition
instead. It only takes a minute to read this...
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 was
getting a stroke recognised, diagnosed, and then getting the patient
medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.



RECOGNISING A STROKE
Thank God for the sense to remember the "3" steps, STR . Read and Learn!
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the
lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain
damage when people nearby fail to recognise the symptoms of a stroke.
Now doctors say a bystander can recognise a stroke by asking three simple
questions:

S * Ask the individual to SMILE .
T * Ask the person to TALK to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (i.e. .
. It is sunny out today).
R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS .

NOTE : Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out
their tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', 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 tasks, call 999 / 994 immediately! ! and describe the
symptoms to the dispatcher.

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people;
you can bet that at least one life will be saved.