May is Stroke Awareness Month

RECOGNIZING A STROKE:

Remember the “3″ steps.

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:

1. S *Ask the individual to SMILE.

2. T *Ask the person to TALK, to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE.
(Coherently) (i.e. . . It is sunny out today?

3. R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.NOTE: Another ’sign’ of a stroke is this: Ask the person to ’stick’ out their tongue . if the tongue is ‘crooked’, if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.

If he or she has trouble with any one of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

To hear the survivor story of the CEO of the online stroke support group

click here: http://strokenetblog.net/2008/04/27/hello-world/