What is a Stroke? What You Can Do to Help Someone Who is Having a Stroke?



What is a stroke? This is a medical condition that occurs when there is a disruption in delivering blood supply to the brain. As a result, your brain cells die causing stroke.

Stroke is a life-threatening condition. It could kill you if immediate treatment is not applied.

Apart from knowing what is a stroke, it is also important to know its risk factors. These would include the following:

High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Diabetes
Smoking

Symptoms of a stroke

Sudden weakness of the face. You will also feel numbness on your arm or leg. You will experience loss of voluntary movement.

Sudden confusion. This is one of the symptoms of what is a stroke that you have to keep in mind. You will have trouble speaking or understanding. Because there is weakness in your facial muscles, this will lead to drooling.

Sudden headache. The pain is excruciating with no apparent reason.

Another symptom you should keep in mind when knowing what is a stroke is loss of balance or coordination. The reason could be the fact that blood supply to the brain is disrupted, ergo, loss of consciousness or balance.

Things to do when you suspect that your family member or a friend is having a stroke

Let him/her lie flat to encourage blood flow to the brain

If unresponsive, the person who is having a stroke should be placed in the rescue position. This is to prevent choking if he/she vomits.

Do not take additional aspirin. The patient may choke on the pill because of swallowing difficulties associated with what is a stroke.

To know whether or not stroke exists, you may ask the patient the following:

Smile. His/her face should move symmetrically when he/she smiles. If not, then he/she is having a stroke.

Ask him/her to raise both arms. If he/she cannot do that, then he/she is experiencing the symptoms of what is a stroke.

Let him speak a simple sentence. If he/she cannot speak coherently, then you should bring him/her to the emergency room.

Finding out the causes of what is a stroke and learning what to do when you suspect that someone is having a stroke can help you save that person’s life.

Other topics of interest:
Diet Foods: The Foods that You Should Eat to Live a Healthy Life
How to be Healthy: 4 Critical Factors to Help You Live a Healthy Life
Sleep Apnea: Improving CPAP Compliance
Remedies for Constipation
Medical Alert Device for Senior Citizens and Individuals with Serious Health Conditions

0 comments:

Related Posts with Thumbnails