Strokes hit without warning and can have devastating long term effects for survivors. Swift diagnosis and treatment is critical, firstly for survival, and the best possible recovery thereafter.
Some 9000 New Zealanders suffer from strokes every year, and of those, 2500 are fatal, making stroke the number three killer after heart disease and cancer. Throughout our lives, we have a 1 in 8 chance of suffering a stroke.
A recent survey by Stroke New Zealand showed that only one in five people surveyed could correctly identify the three typical signs of a stroke. If a stroke is identified and treated quickly, clot busting drugs can help in up to half of patients.
The key to reducing the risk of long term health issues or death is recognising the signs of stroke and getting the person to the hospital as quickly as possible. If the worst happened to someone you love, would you recognise the signs?
Remember
‘F.A.S.T’ stands for Face-Arm-Speech-Time. If you are with someone (or you are able to recognise the signs in yourself), exhibits any of the following, call 111 immediately. You do not have to be experiencing them all at once.
Face – is it drooping on one side?
Arm – is one arm weak.
Speech – is it jumbled or slurred or lost?
Time – time is critical, so call 111.
What is a stroke?
• A stroke is a sudden interruption of blood flow to the brain, causing brain cell damage. Basically, it is a brain attack
• Disabilities from stroke make it one of the highest consumers of hospital beds, services and community support in this country
• Delayed recognition of a stroke means delayed medical intervention – which can have tragic consequences, including further damage to the brain or death
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