Signs of a stroke

This was passed to me by a friend (Hi, John) and I thought that perhaps this blog would be a good medium to pass along the message. This isn't just for persons of a certain age (like us); younger people need to know it as well, especially if you're often around people and might encounter someone who is having a stroke.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

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 and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE coherently (i.e. It is sunny out today)
R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

And one other sign of a stroke -- Stick out Your Tongue
Ask the person to stick out his or her tongue. If the tongue is crooked, if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within three hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.