4 Classic Signs Your Loved One Is Suffering A Stroke (And What To Do Immediately)
NOTE: If you even think a loved one is having a stroke, call 911 IMMEDIATELY – don’t wait, seconds count!
Every 40 seconds an American experiences a stroke. These serious events happen to individuals of all ages, races, genders, and circumstances, but some are at a higher risk than others.
The effects of strokes are often long-lasting, devastating, and deadly. One of the best ways to reduce the impact of a stroke is to detect and treat it as soon as possible. By learning what causes a stroke and how to respond to the symptoms, you may help save a loved one’s life. Read on to learn more about the dangers, risks, and signs of a stroke, as well as what to do if you think someone you know is having a stroke.
Understanding Strokes and Their Effects
Strokes, serious episodes in which sufficient blood fails to reach the brain, come in various forms and severities. These include:
- Transient ischemic attack (TIA) – Medical professionals sometimes refer to these as “mini strokes” because they do not impose long-term effects on an individual. TIAs occur due to temporary blockages, with symptoms lasting from a few minutes to several hours. They often represent warning signs of a larger stroke in the future.
- Ischemic strokes – Blood clots in the heart or arteries may eventually cause a blockage that prevents blood from reaching the brain. This blood shortage causes a stroke.
- Hemorrhagic strokes – When a blood vessel weakens and ruptures, hemorrhagic strokes result from bleeding in the brain.
All of these conditions may present similar symptoms and require immediate medical attention. Without prompt treatment, the mildest of strokes could create permanent cognitive or physical impairment or death.
Risk Factors for Stroke
Stroke can happen to anyone, at any time or age. However, several factors increase the likelihood an individual may experience a stroke in the near or distant future. Understanding what leads to stroke – and what health or lifestyle characteristics place people at higher risk – helps loved ones monitor them carefully.
Common risk factors for stroke include:
- Diabetes – This illness impacts the body’s ability to regulate glucose. It also leads to high blood pressure (hypertension), heart attack, and high cholesterol… all health conditions that increase the likelihood of stroke.
- High cholesterol – Cholesterol forms an artery-clogging plaque that may cut off the flow of blood to the brain.
- Tobacco use – Smoking depletes the level of oxygen in the blood, making the heart’s job more difficult. This often leads to blood clots in the arteries.
- Physical inactivity – Those who exercise 5 or more times every week experience significantly lower risk for stroke. Not only does physical activity stimulate blood circulation, it also reduces the dangers of obesity… another health condition presenting a higher stroke risk.
- Age – As individuals pass the age of 55, their susceptibility to stroke and its related conditions increase.
- Genetics – Those with family history of stroke, as well as those in particular racial demographics (including Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, or African American), experience a higher rate of stroke.
4 Signs of an Impending Stroke
Although understanding the risk factors for stroke is important, it is more crucial to identify its early warning signs. Pay close attention to loved ones, especially when their demeanor or appearance shows one of the following changes:
- Drooping face – If an individual’s face appears to be sagging on one side, ask them to smile. If their smile is uneven, they may be experiencing a stroke.
- Muscle weakness – Watch the person’s arms or legs. A stroke will begin to impact the strength of a person’s limbs, especially on one side of the body more than the other.
- Difficulty with speech – The loss of muscle control and brain functioning during a stroke may make normal speech impossible. Ask your loved one to repeat a sentence to see if they can do so coherently.
- Confusion – When a stroke impacts speech and other centers of the brain, an individual will seem disoriented or unable to understand what you say to them.
A person may exhibit one or more of these symptoms subtly or severely. Regardless of whether they are mild and go away after a few minutes, this individual still may have suffered a stroke and must receive prompt medical attention.
Immediate Actions to Take
Many individuals suffer debilitating impairment or pass away because they were alone at the time a stroke occurred. If you are present when stoke symptoms manifest in a loved one, be grateful you are there to help them.
The moment you realize someone may be having a stroke, call 9-1-1. An ambulance will arrive quickly to stabilize and support them while transporting them to the nearest medical facility. Tell the dispatcher exactly when the individual began showing stroke symptoms so medical staff can best diagnose and treat them.
Other individuals – including the one experiencing the potential stroke – may discourage you from calling an ambulance right away. You may feel as though you are overreacting and hesitate to impose the inconvenience or expense of an unnecessary hospitalization on your loved one. However, understand strokes represent a serious condition, and every moment counts towards the lasting survival and wellbeing of another person.
Be Your Loved One’s Hero: Identify and Respond Quickly to Stroke Symptoms
When it comes to the long-term health of a loved one, caution is always preferable to inaction. Pay close attention to those around you for the above signs of stroke, and don’t hesitate to get medical treatment if they need it. Your swift and decisive actions can make the difference between life and death.
Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/heart/atrial-fibrillation-stroke-11/signs-of-stroke
http://strokeassociation.org/STROKEORG/WarningSigns/Stroke-Warning-Signs-and-Symptoms_UCM_308528_SubHomePage.jsp
http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/dont-brush-off-early-warning-signs-of-a-stroke
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/stroke/basics/symptoms/con-20042884
http://www.stroke.org/site/PageServer?pagename=RISK
Category: Alzheimer’s / Stroke
