Stroke Risk Scorecard
Stroke Information
Paralysis of the arms or legs, tingling, numbness, confusion,
dizziness, double vision, slurred speech, trouble finding words,
or weakness, especially on one side of the face or body.
that supply oxygen to the brain become blocked or rupture,
causing brain tissue to die.Symptoms depend on which area
of the brain is involved. If a large blood vessel is blocked,
a wide area may be affected, so a person may have paralysis
on one side of the body and lose other functions, such as
speech and understanding. If a smaller vessel is blocked,
paralysis may remain limited to an arm or leg.
If you have symptoms, call 911 right away and get to an
emergency room that offers clot-busting therapy for strokes
due to blocked vessels. Such treatment, which dissolves clots
in blocked vessels, needs to be given within the first three hours
after symptoms begin, but newer treatments may work within a
longer time frame, says Birge, who is medical director at the
Tanner Medical Center in Carrollton, Ga.Timing is urgent;
fast treatment can potentially stop brain tissue death before
permanent brain injury happens. "There is a time clock ticking
as to when you might totally recover," Birge tells WebMD.
Have you been educating friends and family about how to
F = FACE Ask the person to smile.
Does one side of the face droop?
A = ARM Ask the person to raise both arms.
Does one arm drift downward?
S = SPEECH Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Does the speech sound slurred or strange?
T = TIME If you observe any of these signs, it’s time to call 9-1-1.
