This Saturday the 29th October is World Stroke Day – an opportunity to raise awareness of the serious nature and high rates of stroke. This year the campaign is focused on raising awareness of the signs of stroke and the need for timely access to quality stroke treatment.
Suffering from a stroke can be life-threatening, but the sooner a person receives treatment for a stroke, the less damage is likely to happen.
Learning the symptoms of stroke can help you identify it quickly and call for help. The key signs of stroke can be remembered with the word FAST:
- Face – the face may have dropped on 1 side, the person may not be able to smile, or their mouth or eye may have dropped.
- Arms – the person with suspected stroke may not be able to lift both arms and keep them there because of weakness or numbness in 1 arm.
- Speech – their speech may be slurred or garbled, or the person may not be able to talk at all despite appearing to be awake; they may also have problems understanding what you’re saying to them.
- Time – it’s time to dial 999 immediately if you see any of these signs or symptoms.
If you suspect that you or someone else is having a stroke, phone 999 immediately and ask for an ambulance.
Local support
You can find local support from the Stoke and North Staffordshire Stoke Recovery Service, who offer a service for stroke survivors (including TIAs/mini-strokes), and families and carers of people affected by stroke.
Through the Stroke Association website there is also a wide range of online information and resources, with more information about stroke, living with stroke and risks.