How to Spot a Stroke

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain "clogs" up, depriving brain tissue of the blood and nutrients it needs. The result is that thousands of brain cells begin to die almost immediately, which in turn affects motor skills, coordination, speech and comprehension.

Symptoms of a stroke include:

• Sudden onset weakness and/or numbness in one side of the body
• Difficulty speaking or comprehending others
• Slurred speech
• Facial droop
• Difficulty with vision
• Imbalance
• Severe headache

What do you do if someone if having a stroke?

It is extremely important that someone who is showing signs of stroke remembers the acronym BE FAST to lower the risk of death or disability:

B is for balance – Watch for sudden loss of balance

E is for eyes – Check for vision loss

F is for face – Look for an uneven smile

A is for arms – Check if one arm is weak

S is for speech – Listen for slurred speech

T is for time – Call 9-1-1 right away

Remember – “time is brain”. Anyone who has signs or symptoms of a stroke needs immediate medical attention in an emergency department because early treatment can reduce the brain damage that results from a stroke. This can improve short-term and long-term outcomes. Visit LafayetteGeneral.com/Stroke for more information or to schedule an appointment.