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A CAUTIONARY TALE - STROKE [From: George Hill, Founder of the Optimum Energy Clinic, Chateau Grandes Rocques, Castel, Guernsey, Channel Islands and ex-Chairman of the Institute for Complementary Medicine (London).] STROKE IDENTIFICATION (remember those first three letters of the word, stroke S T R) During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall – she assured everyone that she was fine and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes - (they offered to call paramedics). They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food – while she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid’s husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital (at 6:00pm, Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don’t die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead. It only takes a minute to read this: … A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke … totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough. RECOGNIZING A STROKE Thank God for the sense to remember the “3” steps, STR. Read and Learn! Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions: S *Ask the individual to SMILE. T *Ask the person to TALK. To SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently: e.g. “It is sunny out today.”) R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS. (NOTE: Another ‘sign’ of a stroke is this: As a person to ‘stick’ out their tongue. If the tongue is ‘crooked’, if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke.) If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 9-9-9 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher. A cardiologist says if everyone who reads this, say out of 10 people; you can bet that at least one will be saved. BE A FRIEND AND SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH AS MANY FRIENDS AS POSSIBLE, you could save someone’s life. COMMENT A stroke or cerebrovascular accident (CVA) occurs when the blood supply to a part of the brain is suddenly interrupted by occlusion (an ischemic stroke- approximately 90% of strokes), by haemorrhage (a haemorrhagic stroke – less than 10% of strokes) or other causes. Ischemia is a reduction of blood flow most commonly due to occlusion (an obstruction). Stroke is the third most common cause of death in the UK. Over 150,000 people a year in the UK have a stroke – one person every three minutes. It is also the most common single cause of severe disability. Be aware that ‘stroke’ does not only happen to middle-aged or older people. Anyone can have a stroke, including children and even babies. In 1998, figures presented at an International Conference in Edinburgh suggested that annually in the UK more than 1,000 people under the age of 30 suffer a stroke.1 ‘Different Strokes’, a charity, which campaigns on behalf of young victims, said that many people do not receive the help they need because 90% of first-time attacks occur after retirement age, so it is perceived as a problem of the elderly.2 Stroke can afflict anybody. In 1988 the late 14th Duke of Bedford suffered a brain haemorrhage. His life was saved by prompt and highly skilled surgery, but he was left for many months with a severe disturbance of his speech of a type known as aphasia. As virtually no help was available for aphasics and minimal speech and language therapy, the Duke founded ‘The Tavistock Trust for Aphasia’, named after him, to try to ensure that more people have access to the quality of treatment he received.3 He has left an admirable legacy. Another good reason to have the ability to recognize a stroke is that the OECD, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, which brings together countries sharing the principles of the market economy, pluralist democracy and respect for human rights, found in 2002 in the UK that fatalities within the first seven days of a stroke were about twice the average in other countries.4 & 5 NB: The telephone number 1-1-2 is the International Emergency telephone number for GSM mobile phone networks. It does not necessarily work on other mobile phone technologies. In all EU (European Union) countries 1-1-2 is also the emergency telephone number for both mobile and fixed-line telephones.6 References: 1. ‘Young stroke victims lose out’ BBC News Online 27th May 1998. 2. ‘Different Strokes’ A charity set up Younger Stroke Survivors for Younger Stroke Victims - http://www.differentstrokes.co.uk/ 3. ‘The Tavistock Trust for Aphasia’ - http://www.aphasiatavistocktrust.org/content/default/index.asp 4. ‘The NHS: Has the Additional Funding Worked?’ http://www.civitas.org.uk/pubs/NHSBriefingApr05.php 5. ‘Stroke Care in the OECD Countries: A Comparison of Treatment, Costs and Outcomes in 17 Countries.’ - http://www.euractiv.com/Article?tcmuri=tcm:29-117712-16&type=Analysis 6. Check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_telephone_number for all other countries and use of Emergency Telephone Numbers.
Useful Contacts: The Stroke Association UK http://www.stroke.org.uk/ British Asphasiology Society http://www.bas.org.uk/ . |
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