facts first presents warning signs of a
stroke
please watch stroke is the fourth
leading cause of death in the United
States
it's also the leading cause of
disability according to the American
Stroke Association there are two types
of strokes the first is a nice chemic
stroke about 87% of all strokes reported
turn out to be ice chemic this type of
stroke occurs when a blood clot clogs a
blood vessel in the brain it can also
plug in artery in the brain hemorrhagic
strokes are less frequent they occur
when a blood vessel in the brain breaks
and causes bleeding inside the brain
both types however are very dangerous
the most common warning signs of a
stroke please watch it's a good idea
that you're able to recognize the main
symptoms of a stroke according to Larry
B Goldstein MD who is the spokesperson
for the American Stroke Association time
saved is brain saved after a stroke the
sooner that you realize that you or
someone you know needs help the better
your chances of making a full recovery
the most common signs include weakness
or numbness that comes on suddenly in
the face arm or leg in most cases the
symptoms will only occur on one side of
the body trouble speaking or
understanding that comes on suddenly
confusion is also a common symptom
sudden difficulty seeing out of one or
both of your eyes sudden difficulty
walking also dizziness a loss of balance
and lack of coordination are common
symptoms of a stroke a headache that
comes on suddenly as if there is no
cause
less common symptoms of a stroke there
are a few less common symptoms many of
these are most commonly seen in women
these symptoms include brief loss of
consciousness
fainting convulsions and confusion can
also occur sudden hiccups that don't go
away sudden onset of nausea and vomiting
sudden pain in the face or the limbs
shortness of breath accompanied by chest
pain easy tests to assess symptoms of a
stroke as I already mentioned the sooner
you get treatment for a stroke the
better your prognosis will be if you
think someone is having a stroke there
are three tests that allow you to
quickly assess the situation
number one start by asking the person to
smile if one side of their face droops
there is a chance that they're having a
stroke number two ask the person to
raise their arms up over their head does
one of their arms drift down while the
other remains up number three ask the
person a simple question listen to how
they answer if their speech is slurred
or if their words are garbled they could
be having a stroke what should you do if
you think someone is having a stroke if
you think someone is having a stroke you
need to be sure to act quickly how you
react quickly in the first few minutes
after the symptoms have begun could
potentially save their life there are
certain medications that are very
successful in treating strokes
unfortunately these drugs need to be
given in the first few hours after the
stroke symptoms begin if not these
medications won't help this is why it is
so important to know exactly what to do
if you believe someone is having a
stroke call 9-1-1 the last thing that
you want to do is wait and see if the
symptoms subside the sooner they get
medical attention the better the outcome
will be if you don't think that the
paramedics will make it in time
drive them to the hospital yourself if
you can wait for the ambulance you
should but there
our medics will start treatment on the
way to the hospital and the emergency
room doctors will continue treatment
when the ambulance arrives if the
symptoms start and then disappear
you should still seek medical attention
the symptoms of a transient ischemic
attack or TIAA typically only lasts for
a few minutes this is a warning sign
though that a major stroke could be
coming make a note of when the symptoms
began and tell the paramedics there are
certain time frames that certain stroke
drugs need to be given if the time frame
passes certain medications may no longer
help never give the person aspirin
aspirin is common to give somebody if
they have a heart attack
a stroke is in the brain though not the
heart giving them an aspirin will
actually make the brain bleed even worse
causing further damage risk factors
anyone can have a stroke however there
are certain risk factors that put you
more at risk of having one high blood
pressure high blood pressure can lead to
many dangerous health conditions
including a stroke smoking smoking
cigarettes is bad for your health we all
know that not only does it cause various
types of cancer but cigarettes increase
your risk of heart disease and stroke
diabetes if you already have type 1 or
type 2 diabetes and you don't control
your blood sugar properly you are at
higher risk of having a stroke diet
eating a diet high in sugar and
saturated fat can put you at risk of
obesity heart disease and stroke
obesity if you are overweight you should
work on losing that weight even losing 5
or 10 pounds will decrease your risk of
having a stroke
physical activity exercise is important
if you want to avoid having a stroke if
you live a very sedentary lifestyle you
are at a greater risk high cholesterol
it's a good idea to have the doctor
check your cholesterol regularly if it's
high you're at risk of having a stroke
the sooner you treat the problem the
better various types of heart disease
there are several types of heart disease
that can put you at risk of having a
stroke such as peripheral artery disease
atrial fibrillation Keratin artery
disease and most other types subscribe
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