Monday, June 11, 2007

Spot the sign of stroke

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

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 their 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 999 immediately !! and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved.

Sources above: Mr. Lim Kit Siang's blog

Ask the pharmacist!
Usually a stroke patient will experience

1) Weakness: paresthesia(numbness, prickly, stinging, or burning feeling); loss of sensation in face, arm, or leg.
2) Loss of speech
3) Loss of vision in one eye or in one visual field
4) Vertigo, with dysarthria(impairment or clumsiness in the uttering of words), diplopia (2 images of an object seen at the same time or double vision), imbalance.

Want to know your 10 year risk of stroke?
Let me know your age, your systolic blood pressure, also your systolic BP if you are on medication, smoking or not, any history of atrial fibrillation, any diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy, and history of heart attack and are you a diabetic?
Then i can calculate your risk of stroke based on Am Heart J 1991;83:356-362 Statement for health professional!!

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