Monday, June 09, 2008
Stroke Awareness Month may be over, but stroke awareness should be taught every day. The below guidelines have been circulating over the internet the past few weeks, and I encourage you to take note.
STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall, she assured...
Recognizing the signs of an evolving stroke is sometimes obvious, but often not.
Even though the guidelines would fail to cover every conceivable version of stroke symptoms, it does provide a useful framework to begin thinking about it. However, the key is really to raise awareness, just so that family, friends, and bystanders at least consider the possibility of stroke.
I can tell you that it is not always a clear-cut situation. I've had people in my office in whom I wasn't sure. But it's best with a possible evolving stroke, as it might be with a heart attack, to assume that it's a stroke until proven otherwise.
The key with stroke symptoms: When in doubt, assume that it is a stroke. Let an emergency room make that important decision.