Stroke can strike anywhere, whether you are driving, having dinner,
standing at a bus top or attending a party. If you’re having a conversation with
somebody and you notice that the person’s face is dropping and his/her speech
is slurred, He might be at risk for stroke attack.
Immediately go and take that person for the medical treatment. Strokes are
uncertain, can happen anywhere and anytime. So, as soon as you sense a person
is having a stroke or losing his/her coordination and imbalance, require
immediate action.
A stroke is mostly known as a
brain attack, which occurs when a blood vessel in the brain disrupts and bleeds
or there is an interruption in the blood supply to the brain. The disruption or
blockage prevents blood and oxygen from reaching the brain’s tissues. If there
is a lack of oxygen in the brain, cells and tissues become damaged and begin to
die in every other minute. If a stroke is not diagnosed early, it
can lead to the permanent brain
damage or
death of a patient. If the patient has got the immediate treatment,
there are a lot of chances for successful recovery and survival of that
patient. Millions of brain cells are lost every minute until the stroke is
diagnosed and treated. So, it is better to get it diagnosed as soon as possible
by observing the signs and symptoms of Stroke.
Recognising the signs and symptoms of a stroke
Depending on the severity of the stroke,
symptoms may be lenient or devastating. Before you are planning to help
somebody, you need to know what to look for following symptoms.
- Face: Is the face numb or does it droops on one side?
- Arms: Is one arm numb or weaker than the other? Does
one arm stay lower than the other when trying to raise both arms? - Speech: Is speech slurred
or dilemmatic - Time: If you find to any of
the above in a patient, it’s time to call emergency services immediately.
There are some of the key things that we should
keep in mind while handling a stroke patient. Ignore this first aid can lead to
the serious chronic issue or can also lead to his/her death.
- Help the person lie down: A stroke can
cause dizziness and imbalance in the body, keep stroke victims on their side
with the head slightly elevated to promote blood flow. Help them lying down on
the bed or a floor.
- Loosen any restrictive clothing: If the person is wearing the tight outfit, it is advisable to loosen it
and open up the buttons of shirt. This helps the stroke victim breathe more
easily.
- Check if the person is breathing: Always check
for pulse and breathing. If there is no pulse and the patient has stopped
breathing, begin CPR immediately.
- Call nearest hospital immediately: The moment,
brain is deprived of oxygen, it loses about 1.9 million neurons, which is exactly
why every minute counts, that can never be replaced.
- Always mention the word ‘Stroke’ with the medical
person: If you are not sure that the person has got the stroke or it is just
unconsciousness, always let the medical person know so that they get more time
to prepare for first aid and other initial medical requirements.
- Write down the time: This will
surely help the emergency team to act as efficiently as possible. Knowing when
the symptoms started can help doctors (neurologist) determine the appropriate kind of treatment
required. If you are not sure when the symptoms started, Always note when the
person was last seen “normal” can be very helpful.
- Always provide the entire information to the
doctor: If you know the person already and if you are aware about his/her health
concerns, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, uses any medications or has
certain drug allergies, share this information with the emergency team
immediately.
PREVENTION OF STROKE:
Stroke is a kind of cardiovascular
disease, it makes sense that keeping your heart and blood vessels as healthy as
possible will reduce your risk of stroke. The following are the most important
measures you can take to prevent your stroke risk.
- Monthly medical check-ups
- Control over blood pressure
- Quit smoking
- Treatment of heart disease
- Diet Enrichment
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Exercise on daily basis
- Treat diabetes
Adopt stress
relieving activities