Sapphire Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing of Central Queens on Identifying the Warning Signs of a Stroke
- By Ady Fox
- •
- 07 Aug, 2020
Each year, around 800,000 Americans will suffer a stroke and 140,000 or so will die from one, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Statistics shared by the CDC go on to show that knowing the warning signs and symptoms of a stroke can make the difference between life or death or can curb the long-term effects of an episode. It’s believed that people who are treated at an emergency room within three hours of first showing symptoms have less disability three months after the stroke than those who get delayed care.
With that in mind, Sapphire Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing of Central Queens has information on identifying the warning signs of a stroke.
Use the FAST Test
The American Stroke Association’s guidelines are based on the FAST test. The first three letters stand for symptoms, and if you notice all of these, the T means “Time to Call 911.”
F: Face
Look for changes on one side of the face that do not occur on the other. It’s easier to spot differences if you ask the person to smile – oftentimes, it will be uneven or unbalanced in a stroke.
A: Arms
Ask if the person feels weakness in their arms. Have them raise both arms and observe whether one is lower than the other or if they indicate that they have unusual trouble doing so.
S: Speech
Note if the person is slurring their speech or having difficulty speaking in general. You can ask them to repeat a simple sentence for a quick test.
T: Time to Call 911
Even if these symptoms occur and quickly disappear, you need to call 911 and tell the operator that there is a suspected stroke victim. They will ask you to explain the symptoms and can relay further instructions to you while help is on the way.
To learn more about Sapphire Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing of Central Queens and all of the services they offer, visit https://www.sapphirerehab.com/.
