Emergency Urgent Care: When to Go to an ER: Stroke
A stroke is a serious medical condition that occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted or stopped, depriving the brain cells in that particular area of much needed oxygen and nutrients, causing them to begin to die. A stroke is also sometimes known as a brain attack or a cardiovascular accident, CVA, as per the subject matter experts over at frontlineer.com, and given how important the brain is in the various body functions, a stroke will inhibit a person’s ability to function normally and may even affect one’s entire body. A stroke, in most cases, can either be as a result of the blockage of a blood vessel in the brain or due to bleeding into the brain; which means that there are two types of strokes: ischemic strokes caused by a blood clot in an artery blocking blood flow and hemorrhagic strokes caused by bleeding into the brain tissue. Unlike most other health conditions where you may only need to call 911 and go to an ER for severe cases, a stroke is medical emergency and you should always call 911 so that the affected person can be taken to an ER as soon as possible as far as a stroke is concerned. Time is of the essence as far as a stroke is concerned, as the more time you waste, the more damage your brain incurs and the more of its cells die. It is therefore important to know the signs of stroke so that you can be able to go to an ER as soon as possible and get treatment, something this article will look to help with by highlighting the signs and symptoms indicating that you need to go to an ER for stroke.
One of the most common signs of stroke, one that indicates that you need to go to an ER as soon as possible, is if you are experiencing paralysis or numbness on your face, arm or leg. This usually affects only one part of your body hence it affects one side of your face as well as only one of your arms or legs. As such, you may notice that when you smile, one side of your mouth droops or when you attempt to raise both of your arms over your head at the same time, one begins to fall. These are signs that you may be having a stroke and should call 911 and be taken to an ER such as the highly rated frontlineer.com as soon as possible for prompt treatment. You may also experience issues with your speech, yet another tell-tale sign of a stroke. Here, you will begin to have trouble talking and pronouncing words and may develop slurred speech. You may also develop issues understanding speech when spoken to and may experience confusion. Such symptoms also indicate that you need to go to an ER as soon as possible for emergency urgent care as far as your stroke is concerned.
Other than trouble with speech, you may also develop troubles with your vision, yet another sign of a stroke. Here, you may develop double vision, blurred vision, or even blackened vision, which can affect one or both of your eyes. If this happens, then you should also call 911 as soon as you can so that you can have an ambulance come and take you to an ER as soon as possible. You may also develop issues with coordination, which is yet another sign of a stroke. This will make it difficult for you to walk, pick up objects or even stand up as it may lead to you becoming uncoordinated and cause you to stumble when you attempt to stand up or walk, as per the subject matter experts over at frontlineer.com. While some strokes, especially ischemic strokes may not be accompanied by pain, some hemorrhagic strokes are actually quite painful, causing you to experience a severe headache. If you therefore develop a sudden and unexplained headache, which progressively gets worse or which is unlike any you’ve ever experienced before or is the worst ever, then you should also call 911 and have yourself taken to an ER as soon as possible. It is also worth noting that the headache may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting as well as dizzy spells.
One may also experience a loss of consciousness, or become hard to be aroused and in such an instance, you should immediately call 911 and have them taken to an ER as this is a very serious situation. Another sign of a stroke is the developing of a tingling or a ‘pins and needles’ sensation anywhere in the body, which also means that you need to call 911 as soon as you can to so that you can be taken to an ER such as the highly rated frontlineer.com. Other symptoms of stroke that should be taken equally as seriously include memory loss, muscle stiffness, involuntary eye movements among others; all of which should end with a visit to an ER. It is always recommended that you use the FAST test check if you suspect someone is suffering from a stroke. This entails:
- Face. Ask the person to smile and see if one side of their face droops.
- Arms. Ask the person to raise both of their arms above their head and see if one of them drifts or drops down or even if they are unable to raise one of their arms.
- Speech. Give the person a simple phrase and ask them to repeat it listening closely so as to check for slurred speech or if their speech sounds strange.
- Time. If they are presenting with any of the above signs, call 911 immediately to have them taken to an ER as time is of the essence as far as a stroke is concerned. If you can remember when their symptoms started, note that down as well and relay the information to the emergency staff when they arrive.
The above are the signs indicating when you should go to an ER for a stroke, with more on this and other related topics as well as the best emergency urgent care services to be accessed by checking out the highly regarded frontlineer.com
