Being able to identify the warning signs of a stroke and take appropriate and immediate action is vital to increase the chances of recovery and even survival for a stroke victim. The problem is for the person suffering the stroke they are usually debilitated and unable to call the emergency services.



The Emergency Medical Services has introduced a number of changes through improved education, increased awareness of paramedics and studies of stroke care throughout the country.

The more common or frequent symptoms of stroke include:

A sudden and unexplained weakness or numb feeling in the face, all down one side of the body, or in one arm or leg.

A sudden loss of vision, or dimness (like the lights being turned down) specifically if it's just in one eye.

Inability to speak fluently or a complete loss of speech. It is understood that stroke victims are well aware of what is happening to them when they are experiencing a stroke, but are unable to communicate their predicament as their words are either mumbled or they are unable to speak at all.

Severe and instantaneous headaches with no particular reason.

Unexplained dizziness, unsteadiness or sudden falls, especially with any of the other symptoms mentioned above.

EMS is indeed a complete stroke support system. It includes educators, researchers, emergency medical technicians and paramedics, emergency departments and their specially trained staffs, paramedic ambulances and advanced communication centers that include trained emergency medical dispatchers, who field calls for emergency assistance.

Recent studies and surveys have discovered that on average, a person who had experienced a stroke waited 2 hours before calling for help. Reducing this time is vital to increasing the odds of recovering from a stroke, and that is one of the main focus points in educating people about the signs of stroke and its symptoms.

When the call for assistance arrives at the emergency communication center, the emergency medical dispatchers have updated protocols for dealing with stroke patients, and paramedics on the scene now have specific stroke protocols to follow when attending patients.

Some of these improvements include more appropriate patient assessments, better understanding of stroke symptoms, reports to physicians in emergency departments and transporting the patients to hospitals with stroke teams.

The odds of stroke recovery and even survival of a stroke victim is largely dependent on how quickly they are treated, and the abilities of the medical team supporting them. Care of a stroke victim begins with the patient recognising the warnings signs of a stroke and the various stroke symptoms, and calling the emergency services as fast as possible.