This actually happened. During a party a lady stumbled and fell. It seemed to be nothing serious and the lady got up and refused her friends' offer to call paramedics. She said that she has slipped because of her new shoes. The lady adjusted her clothes and while she seemed a bit shaken up by the fall, she ate her dinner and appeared to be enjoying herself.



Later in the day the lady's husband called to say she had been taken unwell and rushed to the hospital. She passed away that evening. She had suffered a stroke at the party and if the people present had understood the symptoms, they could have done something and perhaps saved her. Saving a person who has suffered a stroke is not just a question of saving his or her life, it is also a matter of saving them from paralysis that could leave them in a helpless and hopeless condition even if they do not die.

According to neurologists, if a stroke can be immediately recognized and medial attention made available within three hours, it is normally possible to reverse the effects, often completely. The problem is that strokes are often unrecognized since most people are unaware of the symptoms.

A stroke occurs when the supply of blood to the brain is suddenly interrupted. There are two types of strokes. When the arteries carrying blood to the brain are abruptly blocked, it is called an ischemic stroke. When a blood vessel bursts and blood seeps into the brain tissue it is known as a hemorrhagic stroke.

A severe stroke, if not treated in time, can result in death. Even is the stroke is not fatal, it may cause neurological damage that will the leave patient incapacitated for life. The brain is one of the most complex organs in the body. Even if other organs fail, the brain may continue to keep functioning. But when the brain stops functioning completely - brain death - the other organs have nothing control them and gradually die also.

The effects of a stroke depend on the location of the obstruction - which part of the brain is deprived of blood - and the amount of tissue damage. One side of the brain controls the opposite side of the body and also specific organs, so a stroke occurring in the right side of the brain could result in, among others:

- Paralysis of the left side of the body

- Problem with vision

- A sudden change in behavior - usually rapid erratic movement

- Loss of memory

A stroke in the left side of the brain may cause:

- Paralysis to the right side of the body

- Problem in speaking, incoherent speech

- Memory loss

- Slow uncertain body movements

Warning signs of a stroke are:

- Any sudden weakness or numbness of the face or the limbs, especially on one side of the body - Sudden severe headaches with no discernible cause

- A sudden onset of confusion

- being unable to talk, speaking in an unclear or garbled manner, speaking illogically

- Inability to understand what is being said

- Trouble is seeing or focusing, with both or just one eye

- A sudden onset of dizziness, loss of balance, uncoordinated physical movements or trouble in walking.

Remember that these symptoms maybe transitory, as in the case of the lady at the party. Do not ignore any of these symptoms even if these seem to disappear in a few seconds or minutes and the person appears to be fine. If a stroke has occurred, brain damage need not be immediately apparent and may signs may surface after some hours, by which time it may be too late to help.

There is a simple and medically approved way to see if a person has suffered as stroke. It is called STR and is worth remembering. STR stands for:

- Smile - ask the person suspected of having had a stroke to smile.

- Talk - ask the person to speak a simple sentence: describe what kind of car he owns or where he lives.

- Raise - ask the person to raise his arms above his head.

Doctors has now offered one more way to know if a person has suffered a stroke - ask the person to stick out his tongue. If his tongue is not straight or droops or slants to one side rather than coming straight out of his mouth, it is an indication of a stroke.

If the person has difficulty in performing any one of these tasks, it is more than likely he has suffered a stroke and medical help should be IMMEDIATELY called for.

Until help arrives, caring for a stroke victim is limited to offering support to the victim. But this is important and may prevent further deterioration of the condition while waiting for medical help. - If there is someone available with CPR training, the victim's circulation, breathing and airway should be checked as per standard CPR procedure. The paramedics should be briefed, when they arrive, on symptoms observed and action taken.

- Lay the victim down flat with the head and shoulder slightly raised to reduce the blood pressure in the brain

- If the victim is unconscious, gently roll him so he is lying on his left side and pull the chin forward. This will help to keep the airway open and allow any vomit to drain and not hamper the breathing.

- If the victim is conscious speak reassuringly and offer all the positive support you can. Keep saying that help is on the way.

- Never give a stroke victim any thing to eat or drink. The throat may be paralyzed and they may choke. Strokes are the third largest killers in America, after heart disease and cancer. Reading this took you only a few minutes. If you circulate it to ten more people and ask them to also spare these few minutes to read this, there is a good chance that your action will help to save a life.

There is a relationship between high blood pressure, snoring and strokes.