Stroke Signs

911, what is the address of the emergency?

This post was prompted by a similar one written by a friend.

A stroke is a no-foolin' life-changing (or life-ending) emergency. In short, a stroke is a brain attack: some portion of the brain stops receiving blood (and thus oxygen) due to a blockage of some kind. Precisely where the blockage happens and how soon it's cleared determines the type and severity of damage.

Know the signs:
F - facial droop
A - arm weakness
S - speech problems
T - time to call

Any one of the first three is a strong hint of a stroke. A combination of two or all three? We've gone from "hint" to "flashing neon signs", and now time is critical.

Thrombolytic therapy (super-duper clot-busting drugs) is the best therapy for most strokes, and the generally-accepted window for getting the thrombo's into the patient is three hours from the onset of symptoms. After that, damage seems to be pretty permanent.

If you're having signs of a stroke, the time to call is right now. Not at half time. Not after Thanksgiving dinner. Not after you've showered and dressed. Right. Now.

Call me back right away if anything changes.