HOW TO SPOT A STROKE - " BE FAST"
Balance problems– sudden loss of balance
A stroke is caused by interruption of blood flow to a part or parts of the brain. As parts of the brain shut down, muscle control and other senses are affected. Loss of balance could vary from a mild head-spinning feeling to an inability to stand upright without support.
Eyes – sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes
While other disorders can cause vision problems, the key in a stroke is the sudden onset. Some people may not have a total loss of vision but they may have blurred vision, or loss of a half of their field of vision, or double vision as a result of the brain attack.
Face – looks droopy
A stroke can affect the muscles that control facial expressions. Most of the times, only one side of the face is affected and the result is an asymmetric look—with a sagging and drooping of the eyes, mouth, and cheeks.
Arms – one arm is weak or numb
The same droopiness that affects the face can affect an arm or leg. It’s just a different set of muscles being affected by the brain attack. The limb weakness can range from numbness to flat out being unable to move or function. Each side of the brain controls the opposite side of the body, so a left sided brain attack gives a right sided weakness/numbness while a right sided brain attack gives a left sided weakness/numbness.
Speech – slurred or seeming confused, word finding problems
When the Stroke affects the speech and language center- the results are going to be a sudden onset of confusion, problems pronouncing words, incomplete thoughts, or word finding problems.
Time – Call Emergency services now
Strokes occur with all degrees of severity and there’s rarely a gold-standard where all the symptoms are in play and easily recognized. If you’re seeing any one of the "BE FAST signs" with that underlying theme of suddenness, make the call, save a life!
Remember, every second counts !