5 Signs of Strokes and How You Should Act F.A.S.T.
DID YOU KNOW: Someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds, and someone dies of a stroke every four minutes, amounting to 795,000 strokes and 137,000 deaths annually. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States, behind heart disease and cancer.
A stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain is blocked or ruptures. Not all strokes are preventable, so it is very important to recognize the early signs of stroke and get treatment as rapidly as possible. Stroke damages brain tissue, but that loss can be minimized by getting quickly to an emergency room that can connect to a rapid-response stroke center.
Call 911 immediately if you have 1 or more of the following symptoms:
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body.
- Sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding.
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
- Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.
Act F.A.S.T if you think someone is having a stroke
Emergency treatment with a clot-buster drug called t-PA can help reduce or even eliminate problems from stroke, but it must be given within 3 hours of when symptoms start. Recognizing the symptoms can be easy by remembering to think F.A.S.T.
F=Face. Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
A=Arms. Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
S=Speech. Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Does the speech sound slurred or strange?
T=Time. If you observe any of these signs, call 911 and note the time that you think the stroke began.
Research shows that people with stroke who arrive at the hospital by ambulance receive quicker treatment than those who arrive by their own means.
How Can Baudry Therapy Help?
Physical therapy should be a major part of your stroke rehabilitation. As movement specialists, our main goal is to help you return to your daily activities and achieve the best possible quality of life. We help you achieve this by restoring mobility and function. After a full examination, Baudry Therapy physical therapists will customize a plan that will focus on your ability to move, your pain level, and ways to prevent problems that may occur after a stroke. As you become more mobile, we will teach you strengthening exercises and functional activities. Physical therapy can give you the skills and confidence to get back to doing the things you love, even after suffering from a stroke. Call 504.841.0150 if you or someone you love has suffered from a stroke.