There is a new public service ad campaign geared towards stroke awareness. When I worked in the nursing home, residents who had strokes broke my heart. The damage strokes do to the body is painful to see.
I was reading the warning signs and a lot of them seem pretty general, and unfortunately not that useful. The one warning sign that I would call 911 for myself, is if the numbness on ONE side of the body. If you have ever talked to someone who has had a stroke, it is very obvious that they lose control of one-half of their body.
I have talked about strokes to many people. For some reason people view heart attacks as scarier than strokes. They are both scary. With a stroke, you are losing oxygen to your brain quickly. The jam is in your brain, is preventing blood flow. With a heart attack, your heart is usually still beating so you have a little more time (at the beginning of the symptoms). I am not a doctor, and these are very laymen definitions.
I have included all of the warning signs listed on the website. The damage that is caused can be permanent, so it is important to recognize the signs ASAP and seek appropriate care when needed. On the website they mention a three hour window to take a wonderful drug that helps with strokes.
“Numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
Confusion
Trouble speaking or understanding
Trouble seeing in one or both eyes
Difficulty walking
Dizziness
Loss of balance or coordination
Severe headache with no known cause”
