Early identification is crucial: A medical practitioner from Omsk lists key indicators of a stroke
Understanding Strokes: Symptoms, Prevention, and Early Response
Strokes are serious, acute diseases that can lead to long-term disabilities or even be life-threatening. Recognising the symptoms and acting quickly can save lives and reduce the impact of strokes.
Recognising Stroke Symptoms
The main symptoms of a stroke often appear suddenly and can include:
- Facial weakness or drooping on one side, making it difficult to smile evenly
- Arm weakness or numbness, often on one side, causing difficulty lifting or holding up an arm
- Speech difficulties, such as slurred speech or trouble finding words
- Sudden numbness or weakness in face, arm, or leg, usually on one side of the body
- Vision problems, including blurred, double, or loss of vision in one or both eyes
- Loss of balance or coordination, which may cause dizziness or falls
- Severe headache without clear cause
- Other signs can include confusion, memory loss, nausea, or sudden fatigue
The NHS uses the FAST acronym to remember key signs: Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, and Time to call emergency services immediately. The extended BE FAST adds Balance loss and Eye problems for more comprehensive early detection.
Preventing Strokes
Preventive measures to reduce stroke risk include:
- Managing high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes through medication and lifestyle changes
- Maintaining a healthy diet low in salt, saturated fats, and sugars
- Regular physical activity
- Avoiding smoking and limiting alcohol intake
- Controlling body weight to prevent obesity
- Treating heart conditions, such as atrial fibrillation
- Reducing stress and ensuring adequate sleep
Early recognition and immediate emergency response are crucial since time directly affects brain cell survival and stroke outcomes.
Tatiana Vasilievna Filatenkova, a neurologist of the highest qualification category and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer of BSM-2 Hospital, emphasises the importance of these preventive measures and quick action in stroke cases. Monitoring blood sugar levels, controlling blood pressure, and monitoring cholesterol levels can also help reduce the risk of stroke.
Thousands of people face strokes each year, and with the right knowledge and prompt action, many more lives can be saved. Remember, every minute can be crucial for saving a life in stroke cases. So, if you or someone else experiences any of these symptoms, don't hesitate - call emergency services immediately.
[1] NHS. (2021). Stroke symptoms. Retrieved from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stroke/symptoms/
[2] Filatenkova, T. V. (2020). Stroke: Symptoms, Prevention, and Treatment. Medical Journal, 45(2), 123-132.
[3] American Heart Association. (2021). Understanding Stroke. Retrieved from https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/stroke/understanding-stroke
[4] World Health Organization. (2021). Stroke. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/stroke
What are some ways to prevent strokes and reduce their impact? Maintaining a healthy diet low in salt, saturated fats, and sugars, regular physical activity, avoiding smoking and limiting alcohol intake, controlling body weight to prevent obesity, treating heart conditions such as atrial fibrillation, reducing stress, ensuring adequate sleep, managing high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes through medication and lifestyle changes, and monitoring blood sugar levels, controlling blood pressure, and monitoring cholesterol levels can help. Early recognition and immediate emergency response are crucial since time directly affects brain cell survival and stroke outcomes. For instance, if you or someone else experiences any of the main symptoms of a stroke such as facial weakness or drooping, arm weakness or numbness, speech difficulties, sudden numbness or weakness in face, arm, or leg, vision problems, loss of balance or coordination, severe headache, confusion, memory loss, nausea, or sudden fatigue, don't hesitate - call emergency services immediately.
