ACT - F.A.S.T.

December 07, 2009

Every once in a while you stumble across something really valuable. In 2007 Ronn Lucas Sr. sent me an email with very important information. I did some research and found the information was true.  I wrote a column then,     
How To Survive a Heart Attack When Alone.

Especially since none of us are getting younger and some of us have parents who aren’t getting any younger either I’m undertaking (no pun intended) another column intended to help you (or one of your loved ones or friends) when someone may possibly have had a stroke.

What’s a stroke? A stroke happens when an artery which carries blood from the heart is blocked.
Brain cells die when blood flow is interrupted. 2 millions brain cells die every minute during a stroke. Stoke is also called a brain attack, because speech, memory and movement can be affected.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. Heart disease/heart attack is first and various cancers second. Heart attack is the number one killer of women, not breast cancer as is widely thought. Stroke however is the leading cause of disability, and two thirds of stroke survivors have some kind of disability.

Because stroke is so serious recognizing symptoms and getting proper medical treatment immediately can literally save a life.

So what are the symptoms? Sudden onset of weakness of the face, arm or leg especially on one side. Sudden confusion (not knowing where one is) trouble speaking, trouble understanding, walking, seeing, dizziness, loss of balance or severe headache without a known cause.

F. A.S.T. is a method for recognizing and responding to stroke symptoms:

Face: Ask the person to smile and look for face droop on either side.

Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms and look to see if an arm drifts downward.

Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence and listen for slurred or strange speech.

Time: If any of these symptoms are observed, call 9-1-1 or bring the person to the nearest hospital.

Seems simple - but it works. I hope you never have to use it, but if you suspect a problem, do not hesitate. Act F.A.S.T.

LadyFisher

Credits: Thanks to Jennifer at the Sun newspaper (Bremerton WA) for her help.

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