How To Spot A Stroke

What Is A Stroke?

A stroke is a serious life-threatening medical condition that occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. A stroke can occur to anyone at any age. The sooner a patient receives treatment for a stroke the better as less damage is likely to happen.

Symptoms Of A Stroke

The main symptoms of a stroke can be remembered with the acronym FAST:

• FACE – Does one side droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile
• ARMS – Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
• SPEECH – Is speech slurred, are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like “the grass is green”. Is the sentence repeated correctly?
• TIME – If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 999 and get them to the hospital immediately

If someone has had a stroke they will need an urgent scan in the hospital so the correct treatment can be provided. The speed of treatment has a large effect on the person’s chance of recovery. So please remember to call 999 and not a doctor so that treatment isn’t delayed.

Warning Signs Of A Stroke

Sometimes a stoke can happen gradually. However, you are likely to have one or more sudden symptoms like these:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the leg
• Sudden confusion or trouble 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

What Causes A Stroke?

Like all of your organs, the brain needs oxygen and nutrients supplied by blood to function properly. If the blood supply is restricted or stopped, brain cells begin to die. This can lead to brain injury, disability and potentially death.

There is two main cause of strokes. These are:

• Ischaemic – When the blood supply to the brain is stopped because of a blood clot. This accounts for 85% of all strokes.
• Haemorrhagic – Where a weak blood vessel supplying the brain bursts.

Certain medical conditions can also increase the risk of a stroke. These include:

High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Irregular heartbeats
Diabetes

Treating A Stroke

Treatment for a stroke depends on the type of stroke you suffer from. It also depends on which part of the brain was affected and what caused the stroke.

Strokes are most commonly treated with medication. This includes medicines to dissolve and prevent blood clots, lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol levels.

Preventing A Stroke

You can significantly reduce your risk of suffering from a stroke by:

Having a healthy diet
Exercise on a regular basis
Following recommended guidelines on alcohol intake
Not smoking

Get In Touch

You can learn more life-saving skills by attending a First Aid course in Wirral. We hold regular First Aid At Work courses in Wirral for businesses and individuals. Interested in undertaking one of our First Aid Courses in Wirral? Call us today on 0151 343 0588 to learn more. Alternatively, you can email us at [email protected] and a member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible.