As I wrote in my last post, I will be picking particular diseases and their warning signs patients easily ignore. The reason for this is to help the steemit community recognize these signs early and report to the nearest physician.
What is stroke?
Stroke is a medical condition in which poor or no blood flow to the brain which results in cell death.There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding.They result in part of the brain not functioning properly.
According to the American stroke association, an acronym FAST has been developed to help patients and clinicals recognize signs of a stroke and to call necessary facilities for help.
F: Face drooping. Ask the person to smile, and see if one side is drooping. One side of the face may also be numb, and the smile may appear uneven.
A: Arm weakness. Ask the person to raise both arms. Is there weakness or numbness on one side? One arm drifting downward is a sign of one-sided arm weakness.
S: Speech difficulty. People having a stroke may slur their speech or have trouble speaking at all. Speech may be incomprehensible. Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence and look for any speech abnormality.
T: Time to call 9-1-1! If a person shows any of the symptoms above, even if the symptoms went away, call 9-1-1 and get the person to a hospital immediately. If you don't have 9-1-1 call your emergency line of your community or ask for assistance to get to the nearest health facility.
There are other signs and symptoms we can watch out for such as
Weakness or paralysis of any part of the body.
Numbness or a "pins and needles" sensation anywhere in the body.
Gait disturbances (trouble walking) or loss of balance and coordination
Vision changes, blurred vision, or trouble with eyesight in one or both eyes
Dizziness
Severe headache that usually is unlike headaches in the past
Confusion
Inability to speak, slurred speech, or inability to understand speech
Loss of sensation in any part of the body
Memory loss
Behavioral changes
Muscle stiffness
Difficulty swallowing
Involuntary eye movements. This and many more are signs people will need to take note of .
