Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to
identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells
disaster. The stroke victim may suffer 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:
*Ask the individual to smile.
*Ask him or her to raise both arms.
*Ask the person to speak a simple sentence.
If he or she has trouble with any of these tasks,
call 9-1-1 immediately and describe the symptoms to
the dispatcher. After discovering that a group of
nonmedical volunteers could identify facial weakness,
arm weakness and speech problems, researchers urged the
general public to learn the three questions. They
presented their conclusions at the American Stroke
Association's annual meeting last February. Widespread
use of this test could result in prompt diagnosis and
treatment of the stroke and prevent brain damage.
HEART ATTACK SELF HELP
A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this
e-mail sends it to 10 people, you can bet that at
least one life will be saved. Read this ... it could
save your life!! Let's say it's 6:15 p.m. and you're
driving home (alone, of course) after an unusually hard
day on the job. You're really tired, upset and
frustrated. Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain
in your chest that starts to radiate out into your arm
and up into your jaw. You are only about five miles from
the hospital nearest your home. Unfortunately, you don't
know if you'll be able to make it that far. You have
been trained in CPR, but the guy that taught the
course did not tell you how to perform it on yourself.
HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE
Since many people are alone when they suffer a
heart attack, without help, the person whose heart is
beating improperly and who begins to feel faint, has
only about 10 seconds left before losing
consciousness. However, these victims can help
themselves by coughing repeatedly and very vigorously.
A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and the
cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing
sputum from deep inside the chest. A breath and a cough
must be repeated about every two seconds without let-up
until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be
beating normally again. Deep breaths get oxygen into the
lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and
keep the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on
the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm. In this
way, heart attack victims can get to a hospital. Tell as
many people as possible about this. It could save their
lives! |
