As the 4th leading cause of death and disability in the U.S. affecting about 800,000 people per year, we all know the devastating effects of suffering a stroke. The key to limiting the effects of stroke after one begins is what you do immediately after you see someone beginning to have one. To help you have to recognize the signs, get help, and begin to stroke the victims lips, face, and fingertips while you sing or talk to them. Also remember 20% of stroke victims are under 55 years old.
If you see any one of these “Five SUDDEN, SEVERE Symptoms,” call 911 — regardless of the victim’s age.
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg on one side of the body.
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
- Sudden trouble seeing on one side.
- Sudden, severe difficulty walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
- Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.
Time is crucial as giving a stroke victim clot-busting drugs within 3 hours can improve their outcome by 30%. Caressing the face and fingertips may improve the outcome even more as providing sensory stimulation may help reroute blood flow back into the areas of the brain cut off by the stroke.