Friday, January 16, 2009

Recognizing the problem is the first step...

Well, something like that anyway--maybe it's admitting the problem in some cases, but in possible medical emergencies, I'm sticking with recognition as a vital initial occurence. I received an e-mail the other day on how to recognize if someone is having a stroke. According to this e-mail, at least one neurologist has stated that the effects of a stroke can be reversed if it's caught early enough. The problem is catching it early on, and for that, you need to know what you're looking for. A stroke is an emergency, and must be dealt with immediately if you want to avoid further emergencies resulting from increased medical problems, ongoing care, and the financial emergencies that would accompany such circumstances. So, I am justifying posting this under emergency preparedness because knowledge is one of the best things that you can "store" to both avoid and deal with emergencies.

Here is a portion of the e-mail cut and pasted (gotta love that feature) and then spaced the way I like it (sometimes presentation is everything :) :


INFORMATION EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW........................

Read and Learn! 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:

S *Ask the individual to SMILE.

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

R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS. If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

New Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue.. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other,that is also an indication of a stroke.

I checked this information out at www.snopes.com, which reportedly separates rumor from fact, and their entry on information like that in this e-mail is here. While their entry concerning it is longer, they confirm these facts, while pointing out that the "crooked tongue factor" is not as easily determined as the first three. But the first three are easy to identify, so if someone's having problems, time is of the essence to have it checked out...

Thanks to whomever decided to get the word out about strokes--I'd give credit if I knew who was responsible. Hope we never have to use it, but information like this could make a big difference in someone's life if they are having a stroke---knowledge can be a very powerful tool when time is a factor in dealing with emergencies--you know, useful knowledge is just a good thing to have all around as part of our emergency preparation... :)

3 comments:

The Scavenger said...

Marie, really good info that I hope I never have to use. I hope no one ever has to use it on me either. Gonna print and store in my notebook for sure.

Thanks,

Chris

HermitJim said...

This is important information to know and can make a big difference in how a person is taken care of by emergency personnel if they are called.

Thanks for sharing!

Marie said...

Chris--I hope that no one ever has to use it either, but if someone catches a problem in time, and the only lasting effects are the medical bills, (which also eventually will leave) then it will have helped somebody... The person who sent the information to me indicated that strokes don't discriminate by age, so it could happen to anybody, which I find disturbing. It's going in my notebook too--I need to organize the thing better, but it's filling up! :)

HermitJim--Hopefully it eliminates some of the guesswork for emergency personnel if it is a stroke, since time is such a crucial factor--would hate to be treating for something else and lose time!

Thanks so much to both of you for commenting--it is always appreciated!

Marie