Subject: FW: Read this and pass it on. Strokes - You could save a life.
STR
And now the serious bit...
STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters... S.T.R.
My friend sent this to me and encouraged me to post it and spread the
word.
I agree. If everyone can remember something this simple, we could
save some folks. Please read:
STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured
everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and 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,
Susan went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Susan's
husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to
the hospital - (at 6:00 Susan passed away.) She had suffered a
stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a
stroke, perhaps Susan would be with us today. Some don't die.
They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition
instead. It only takes a minute to read this...
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3
hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the
trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting
the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.
RECOGNIZING A STROKE
Remember the "3" steps, STR . Read and Learn! Sometimes symptoms of a
stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of
awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain
damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a 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) (eg
"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 111 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.