Stroke can be lethal, recognize it FAST

According to many neurologists, if we can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours into an emergency room we can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. The trick is getting a stroke recognized; diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

Jim was only 32 
and like most men his age, he was spunky, spontaneous, moody, rebellious, preoccupied with love, radiating energy, full of life, healthy, fit, goal-oriented, driven, narcissistic, the list goes on and on. But most importantly, he was unprepared. The night before he had a severe headache, which was assumed to be a migraine, but the next morning he was relatively okay. So he went to work, spent a couple hours in the office and then went to a function with his wife. He suddenly felt very peculiar and he knew something was radically wrong. 
Jim felt embarrassed and hoped whatever was happening to him would go away. He can only describe it as feeling as if life was draining away. There wasn't any pain; he didn't feel sick, but he became aware that if he didn't hold onto the table he was going to fall off the chair. 


Subsequently, he realized that he was paralyzed down the left side. It was a most unusual and terrifying experience of his life. Luck would have it, Jim was married to Sarah who was a registered nurse and recognized the symptoms of an acute ischemic attack (stroke), called 911 and saved his life. Not everyone is so lucky, because even if a stroke victim survives they usually suffer the consequences and impairment for the rest of their life.

How to recognize a stroke?

There is an acceptable method of stroke recognition, called FAST:

If you or your loved one has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

Face Drooping - Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile.

Arm Weakness  - Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

Speech Difficulty - Is speech slurred, are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like "the sky is blue and it’s a sunny day." Is the sentence repeated correctly?

Another very important sign of a stroke, ask the person to stick their tongue out. If the tongue is crooked or if it goes from side to side, it is also could be an indication of a stroke.

Time to call 911 - If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 911 and get them to the hospital immediately.

Beyond F.A.S.T. — Other symptoms you should know

•   Sudden numbness or weakness of the leg
 

•   Sudden confusion or trouble understanding 
 

•   Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes 
 

•   Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination 
 

•   Sudden severe headache with no known origin

Thermography imaging and evaluation can help in evaluating risk when it comes to some potential stroke situations. In the following image one can clearly see that the left side of this patient is much warmer suggesting some occlusion in the area that can with time potentially lead to a stroke.

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Remember that prevention is the key, once someone is identified as high risk they can follow up with a Doppler ultrasound and if confirmed positive can take preventive measures. Recognizing the signs and symptoms of a stroke can certainly save someone’s life, however identifying someone who’s at risk of a stroke can potentially prevent this in the first place.

Please remember the FAST method and the non-invasive thermography evaluation that can be an early warning system and lead to prevention. Please share this information with as many people as possible; you could be saving their life!