DEAR DAN--WEDNESDAY

Dear Dan,

During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and that she had 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, she went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Her husband called later telling everyone that she had been taken to the hospital--she had suffered a stroke at the BBQ, and at the hospital, she passed away.

Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps she would be with us today. A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke. But it's tough.

A bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions - the "3" steps, S-T-R.

* 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 his/her 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 911 immediately !! and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

~~~

I never knew this. I have heard stories of people having strokes, and bystanders thinking they were just drunk. Jokes aside, it makes sense that the two appear similar.

Very good advice, methinks. Spread the word.

Comments

[johnO]

Does this someone who wrote this work for the FAA? I saw the same thing posted at work. Probably going around on the net. But I had the same reaction when I read it too.

[vern]

Hi Dan

Sobering. I've had a couple of false alarms myself. One turned out to be alcoholic poisoning (one too many vodka the night before) and the other turned out to be severe food poisoning. Similar symptoms of cold sweat, nausea, pins and needles in the arms and blurred eyesight. The docs said those are also symptoms for shock.

By the way, THANK YOU for linking me in your blogs list!

Vern

[Ed]

If that's true then it's really tragic, but give me a break. How the fuck can you not notice if someone has a stroke or not. Wouldn't the partial paralysis of one side give it away? I don't buy it. I know people with strokes and their mouths are crooked and droopy...like no hiding it. She must have had it later on when she got home because I don't think a fall could cause a stroke unless she's like 50ish. I'm no doctor but unless she hit her head on the brick I don't see why she would have a stroke after falling down. I know I probably would have died laughing after watching some lady trip over new shoes...no pun intended.

[Desi]

Ed, perhaps the stroke caused the fall?

I don't find it hard to believe that the characteristics you list (partial paralysis, droopy mouth) don't show up immediately after a stroke.

[dan]

I know two people who had strokes, and they didn't get the whole "droopy face" thing. They just stammered around for a while. By the time they started showing significant problems, it was too late; the doctors said they had the strokes much earlier in the day.

Be nice, Ed.

[Jen]

My friend Lisa died the same way. X-mas she fell and hit her head. Said she didn't feel well so she went to bed and never got up. Scarey! Thanks for the facts!

[Christine]

Ed, a little reading comprhension, please. This peice is illustrating that her fall at the party was a SYMPTOM of the (impending) stroke, not the cause.

[jockohomo]

Wow, yes, they can reverse the strke IF you aren't allergic to the Heprin they give you, then you stroke out even more...still it's great advice.

Interesting...

[Ryan]

Thanks to that inset pic of the clot, I'm now craving rasins.

[JenB]

Hi Dan,
Thank you for posting this. My Dad had a stroke a few years ago and we didn't know it either... He passed away shortly after. I wish I would've know these simple steps then. Hopefully, they will help others in the future!

Oh and Ed, You don't always have partial paralysis of one side after a stroke. My Dad moved fine... He was just a little loopy and we thought it was from the meds he took for other medical issues. Don't talk about things you really have no knowledge about. Research, then shoot your mouth off!

[Jayne]

When it comes to a stroke, the saying goes "Time lost is brain lost".

There is a lot that can be done to minimize the damage from a stroke, but reconizing the symptoms quickly and acting quickly is key.

Thanks for posting this, Dan. I wish I would have known what to look for when I was younger and my grandpa had a stroke...

[Coy]

Thanks for posting this Dan. A little education can sometimes be life saving.

[chuck]

I'm curious what the smile part has to do...is it because when the person tried to smile, one side would droop because of the stroke?

I couldn't believe Ed's comment; I'm always amazed by people's A) stupidity and B) rudeness. That comment hit both marks. Geez.

[dan]

Asking the person to smile, to raise both arms, and to stick out his/her tongue, all serve the same purpose: to see if both sides of the body are working correctly. I.e., if the tongue comes out crooked, it means that side of muscles isn't working. Stroke! In severe cases, one side of the face will sag, because those muscles all relax. But that doesn't always happen.

[Jose Romero]

There are symptoms the NIH has.

The symptoms of stroke are distinct because they happen quickly:

Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg (especially on one side of the body)
Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech
Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
Sudden severe headache with no known cause

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/stroke/knowstroke.htm#symptoms