Les Jones: Three Simple Signs for Recognizing a Stroke

December 14, 2005

Science > Three Simple Signs for Recognizing a Stroke

Via Clayton Cramer and confirmed with Snopes. My mother has had several, fortunately light, strokes. This is good, simple information to know. After a stroke, always go to the hospital. One stroke may lead to another, larger stroke, or cardiac arrest.

How to Recognize a Stroke
This might be a lifesaver if you can remember the following advice, sent by a nurse, whose husband is a medical doctor.

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. A stroke victim may suffer permanent brain damage when people fail to recognize what's happening. Now, doctors say any bystander can recognize a stroke, simply by asking three questions:

ask the individual to smile.
ask him or her to raise both arms.
ask the person to speak a simple sentence.

If he or she has trouble with any of these tasks, call 911 immediately, and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher. Researchers are urging the general public to learn to ask these three questions quickly, to someone they suspect of having a stroke. Widespread use of this test could result in prompt diagnosis and treatment of a stroke, and prevent permanent brain damage.

You may want to pass this along.

From my experience with my mom, the short-term speech impairment is the most obvious sign.

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Comments

When my father had a stroke, he wandered aimlessly and when I asked him what he was doing he said "I can't read." He was very child-like.

Posted by: Cathy at December 14, 2005

As a practicing EMT, I can say that this is good advice. This is basically how we evaluate our potential stroke patients in the field.

Strokes often cause difficulty with speech (aphasia), asymmetry in the use of facial muscles, and an inability to hold both the hands extended without trembling. By asking the patient to speak, you are looking for both the relevance and correctness of what they say. By asking them to smile, you will quickly see any asymmetry in their facial muscles, and by asking them to hold their arms extended, you will notice asymmetry or trembling.

Of course, some of these signs may already be present in some older people. If your patient already trembles and seems confused when they speak, you need to take that into account.

With strokes, speed is safety. Call an ambulance right away if you see these signs develop.

Posted by: Mike at December 15, 2005