Jan 09, 2024
Welcome back to UHC’s House Call on WDTV. Brenda Conch, RN, MSN, Clinical Nurse Specialist at United Hospital Center in Bridgeport talks about strokes.
1). Can recognizing a stroke save your life?
If you’re having a stroke, it’s critical that you get medical attention right away. Immediate treatment may minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death. Thanks to recent advances, stroke treatments and survival rates have improved greatly over the last decade. But in order to seek treatment, you must recognize the signs and symptoms of a stroke and know what to do: FAST
- Face drooping
- Arm difficulty
- Speech slurring
- Time to call 911
2). Why is knowing F.A.S.T. stroke warning signs important?
Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. Stroke can happen to anyone — any age, any time — and everyone needs to know the warning signs. On average, 1.9 million brain cells die every minute that a stroke goes untreated.
Stroke is an EMERGENCY.
Call 911 immediately.
Early treatment leads to higher survival rates and lower disability rates. Calling 911 lets first responders start treatment on someone experiencing stroke symptoms before arriving at the hospital.
Also, watch for Sudden:
- NUMBNESS or weakness of face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
- CONFUSION, trouble speaking or understanding speech
- TROUBLE SEEING in one or both eyes
- TROUBLE WALKING, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- SEVERE HEADACHE with no known cause
3). Are the symptoms of stroke different for men and women?
Men and women who have strokes often feel similar symptoms of stroke, such as face drooping, arm weakness and speech difficulty.
Other common signs for both women and men include problems seeing out of one or both eyes and balance or coordination problems.
Women can also experience:
- General weakness
- Disorientation and confusion or memory problems
- Fatigue, nausea or vomiting
However, some signs of stroke in women can be subtle enough to be missed or brushed off. That can lead to delays in getting time-sensitive, lifesaving treatments.
This content was originally posted on the WDTV News website here.
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