we explain strokes and why acting fast
is so important this is Mike today he's
visiting his grandfather
they are playing chess but suddenly Mike
notices something very strange
his grandfather can't speak properly and
his face looks different what is going
on in take action Mike's grandfather
might be having a stroke also called a
brain attack strokes are the second
largest cause of death worldwide and
also one of the largest causes of
disability they mainly happen in older
people but they can sometimes happen to
younger people too but what is a stroke
our brain needs oxygen and nutrients
which it gets from our blood when a
stroke strikes the blood can get the
where it needs to be as a result brain
cells don't get enough oxygen and
nutrients and become damaged or die this
can happen in one of two ways
either a blockage in the vessels that
cut off the blood supply or bleeding in
and around the brain as we age our
arteries become harder and lower and
more likely to become blood however
medical conditions such as high blood
pressure atrial fibrillation and
irregular heartbeat in other words for
diabetes and lifestyle factors like
smoking drinking too much alcohol and
not exercising can increase the risk of
having a stroke as our brain controls
the whole body there are a great variety
of different effects of stroke depending
on the area of the brain that is damaged
they can include difficulties will speak
in seeing or hearing balance and
coordination problems muscle weakness
confusion or memory loss all these
symptoms can occur suddenly within
minutes
so how can Mike check if his grandfather
might be having a stroke by using the
fast test the F stands for facial
weakness and the person's smile has
their face fallen on one side the a
forearm weakness
can the person raise both arms and keep
them there the S means speech problems
and the person's speak clearly and
understand what you're saying is their
speech slurred and the T stands for time
if you notice any of these signs it's
time to call them ambulance immediately
even if the symptoms go away the quicker
a person gets to a specialist stroke
unit the quicker they will receive
treatment meaning more brain cells can
be saved Mike calls the ambulance right
away
his grandfather gets the best treatment
and makes a full recovery and now they
can play chess again thanks to Mike and
his fast response