Knowing the Warning Signs of A stroke

Every week we discuss different topics, some of them may be interesting while others may just serve as helpful tips. However, this week I would like to share information with you that could save your life. We probably all know someone who has had a stroke. More often than not, in each of these cases, the person’s body was sending out red flags, trying to alert him or her that something was wrong; but they didn’t pay attention to signs.  Let’s start from the beginning, what exactly is a stroke? A stroke is a cardiovascular disease that affects the arteries inside and around the brain. When the body is working properly, blood vessels carry oxygen and nutrients to the brain. The issue occurs when this process is unable to take place due to a clot or burst. When this happens the brain is unable to receive, the blood and oxygen it needs to keep working properly and it begins to die. This particular malfunction is what we call a stroke. The effects of a stroke can be different for everyone, because it all depends on where in the brain the stroke occurred and how much brain tissue was damaged. Some of the consequences of a stroke are paralysis on one or both sides of the body, vision problems, speech problems and memory loss.

            Now that we have a general understanding of what a stroke is, how do you know if you or someone you know is having a stroke? In general, it is believed that a stroke can sometimes be detected days ahead. Usually strokes are preceded by what are known as mini strokes. Mini strokes have all of the symptoms of a stroke, but they do not damage the brain. These symptoms usually can be seen on the appearance of the person: if he or she has an uneven smile, is unable to hold both of his/her arms up, and has slurred speech, this person is having a stroke and needs medical assistance immediately.  In an attempt to help you remember what to look out for, the National Stroke Association has come up with an acronym. The acronym is FAST, face, arm, speech and time.  Time is part of this acronym because as soon as you detect that there is an issue, you have to get medical assistance. The longer the brain is without oxygen, the more brain damage this will cause. How fast you take action can make a difference! For more information visit the National stroke Associations Website at:   

http://www.stroke.org/site/PageServer?pagename=symp

At First Care of New York we want to prepare all of our readers with a little knowledge of how to keep themselves and their loved ones safe. But, if you or a loved one has had a stroke and are no longer capable of handling activities of daily living, we can help. We have highly trained multilingual certified home health aides who are ready to assist you. Our home health aides can assist with activities such as: bathing, dressing, toileting, grooming, cooking, light cleaning and much more. If you would like more information, please feel free to contact us at 718-741-5956.