Signs of a Stroke

A stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery or a blood vessel breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain. When either of these things happens, brain cells begin to die and brain damage occurs almost instantaneously.

Brain cells die off during a stroke. Because of this the abilities controlled by that particular area of the brain could be lost. These can include speech, movement and memory. How a stroke patient is affected depends on where the stroke occurs in the brain and how much the brain is damaged.

For example, someone who has a small stroke may experience only minor problems such as weakness of an arm or leg. People who have larger strokes may be paralyzed on one side or lose their ability to speak. Some people recover completely from strokes, but more than 2/3 of survivors will have some type of disability. That is why it is incredibly important for all of us to be able to recognize the signs that someone is having a stroke so that we can act quickly in order to save not just their life itself, but their future quality of life.

So how do you know it’s a stroke? Use the F.A.S.T. Test: (Click here to read on....)