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Stroke
by White Dove Books Someone having a stroke is in need of trained medical help now. If you have picked up this book and have any idea that the person you are looking after is having a stroke then call the emergency services. In the USA that will mean dialing 911, in the Europe it will mean dialing 112, or in the UK there is the old standard of 999 as well as 112. Do not delay or the person you are trying to help may be permanently injured or may even die. If you are unsure here is a simple test from the British Stroke Association. Act FAST to check whether someone has had a stroke. * F - Facial weakness: Can the person smile? * A - Arm weakness: Can the person raise both arms? * S - Speech problems: Can the person speak clearly? * T - Test all three If they have any difficulty, dial the emergency services (911, 999 or 112). If you have picked up this book, because you are about to look after someone who has already had a stroke and needs to be looked after, then the first paragraph will always apply. Get help now. We can now look at some of the symptoms and why a stroke is very, very frightening and why the after-effects can be severe. Remember that everyone is different. Some people will have one stroke and die immediately or within the next few days. Others will have mini-strokes for years and get a little better until the next one. Some things I have noticed with stroke victims. * They will revert to their first language. They may not even remember that they had a second or maybe more languages. * They will have slurred or indistinct speech and may get irritated quickly if you do not understand. They think that they are speaking clearly but the mouth may not respond. * Walking and normal bodily functions will be difficult and they will need help even to go to the toilet. * They can recover to a level after a stroke but there will always be an element of weakness that cannot be overcome with therapy or mechanical aids. * They may no longer understand the term stroke. One old lady was confused for a very long time until someone told her she had suffered a "seizure" a very old term for a stroke. I hope my introduction has not frightened you but when dealing with our family, friends and co-workers we need to be able to act to help them as quickly as possible. Always try and keep a stroke victim as calm as possible, and try not to irritate them if their speech is slurred and you do not understand what they are saying. They will be fearful so act calmly and quickly to get help. Chapter 1 It all starts in the brain. A stroke is not a heart attack but it may be a side-effect if the heart attack prevents blood from going to some part or all of the brain. There are two basic causes of stroke. Firstly, a person can have a bleed on the brain that causes some part of the brain to have its blood flow cut off. Secondly they can have a blockage that stops the flow of blood to the brain. This may be a thrombosis or a build up of fats in the arteries can cause the blood flow to stop. Both causes result in one thing and that is dead brain tissue. If it is dead then it cannot remember. A family member may be able to remember everything up to the day of the stroke and then cannot remember a thing that they have just done. For example, a person we knew was feeling hungry and they turned on the gas grill to make a piece of toast, then turn on the oven to bake a potato and then the hob to warm up some beans. In this case none of the gas appliances were lit so it was just as well, that they didn't smoke. The situation was resolved by the arrival of the social worker who smelt the gas and sorted it out. This is only one example, but a person who has had a stroke needs round the clock help and support to make sure they do not injure themselves or others. When we talk about looking after someone after a stroke then it is 24 hours care until medical professionals can clearly evaluate the long term support needs of a stroke victim. |
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