Stroke Program Emergency Room: 10 Tips
Stroke can be a scary experience. It occurs when the blood supply to the brain is disrupted because of a lack of blood flow. Because of this, the brain stops functioning properly and in most cases, it impedes normal muscle function. However, a stroke can be treated. The earlier you get medical attention the better. Here are some tips on how to identify symptoms of stroke and get to an ER such as Frontline ER in good time.
The Loss of Balance
At the onset of a stroke, you will experience extreme physical discomfort. In most cases, you will find it almost impossible to walk. You will lose coordination and balance altogether. Dizziness is also common. While dizziness and loss of balance could be symptoms of stroke, they also occur post stroke.
Feeling Weak
IF you feel yourself suddenly lose strength in your muscles in the legs, arms, and face, it might be an early sign of the onset of a stroke. Most patients will also complain of a tingling sensation in the left arm or shoulder that come suddenly or worsens gradually. In some cases, compete muscle failure will occur. Muscles weakness may also happen after a stroke. It is especially so if you remain immobile for extended periods.
Facial Paralysis
The muscles of the face are easily affected by a stroke. This causes one side of the face to droop or feel numb. It will usually cause the face to appear asymmetrical. If you suspect that someone may be having s stroke, ask him or her to smile. They will not be able to move the muscles of one side. It is important that you get them to the ER as soon as possible.
Speech Problems
A clear sign of stroke is slurred speech. If someone suddenly finds it hard to make an intelligent sentence, it is a sign someone is having a stroke. In most cases, observers have described a look of sudden confusion on the affected person’s face. After the stroke, speech can be greatly improved in just a few months.
Trouble Seeing Clearly
Those that are experiencing a stroke will often have trouble seeing clearly. In some cases, they will experience blurred vision, double vision, or complete vision loss. To test if a person has problems seeing, ask them how many fingers you are holding up. Most people will also have vision problems after the stroke, especially if it afflicted the right side of the brain.
A Sudden Headache
In some cases, you might experience a sudden and severe headache. This is quite common when someone is experiencing a stroke. In some cases, stroke victims experience such a painful headache that they think they have been struck by lightning. In some cases, victims will experience an aura. The aura is the spots you see when you turn on a light bulb in a dark room.
Losing Sensation
A few days before the stroke, it is common to lose vibrational sensation o part of the skin. Other senses such as taste, smell, and gearing might also be afflicted. The loss of sensation may happen in many areas of your body or just a few. It depends on what part of the brain was affected. For some of the stroke survivors, the loss of sensation continues. This loss of sensation can be frustrating and may affect the ability to conduct normal activities.
Loss of Reflex
It is quite common to lose reflex or have it decreased. For instance, most stroke victims will complain of problems with swallowing when they eat. Up to 65 percent of people with a stroke will develop dysphagia, a problem with swallowing. Once you experience a stroke, the doctors will perform a swallow test. If you fail this test, a language pathologist will be required to rehabilitate you. How extensive the loss of reflex depends on the person. However, the earlier you seek medical intervention, the better the chances of recovery.
Feeling Confused
Those who experience a stroke often become confused. This is caused by blockages that happen in the brain. Besides that, they are unable to communicate or see clearly. All the physical symptoms associated with a stroke cause them to be confused since they do not know what is happening. If you ever start to feel confused and disoriented for no reason, it might be a good sign that you are about to experience a stroke. Call someone close to you if he or she is in the house. Otherwise, call for an ambulance before you lose the ability to function altogether.
Inability to Read
Besides having trouble knowing what people are saying, victims of stroke may also have problems reading the text. If you pick the morning paper and suddenly find it is almost impossible to read it, you might want to seek medical intervention. This is especially so if the stroke attacks the right side of the brain. It also happens to be the center of language.
