Noticed signs of a stroke? Act F.A.S.T!

Knowing the signs of a stroke is crucial, as is knowing which steps to take in the unfortunate scenario that someone has a stroke approaching. Face, Arms, Speech, Time.

According to cdc.gov/... Every year, more than 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke. About 610,000 of these are first or new strokes. About 185,000 strokes—nearly 1 of 4—are in people who have had a previous stroke.

The following symptoms may be signs of a stroke approaching: the patient's Face has dropped on one side, the patient may not be able to perform basic facial expressions for example smiling, their mouth, or eye may have drooped, the patient may not be able to keep both Arms in the air because of weakness, or numbness in one arm, the patient's Speech may be slurred/not making sense, or the patient may not be able to talk at-all whilst appearing to be awake, they may also have trouble understanding what you are saying to them. If the patient does have any of these symptoms then it is Time to call 999 for an ambulance as this is a medical emergency. Act F.A.S.T (Face, Arms, Speech, and Time).

Acting F.A.S.T is the key between life, and death because by phoning 999 for an ambulance you can help someone reach hospital quickly, and receive the treatment as early as possible. Acting F.A.S.T can help to prevent any further damage from taking place in the patient's brain, and help the patient reach a full recovery. Failing to act F.A.S.T may result in the patient dying, or suffering from life-long disabilities such as memory loss, paralysis, and/or communication difficulties #ActFAST #FaceArmsSpeechTime #FAST.

DH