Not a lot people know what stroke signs and symptoms are. This is why they end up in great danger fighting for their lives the moment they find out they're actually having a stroke.
Some are not fortunate to make it.
According to the National Stroke Association, there are signs and symptoms to watch out for to know when a person is having a stroke:
"Stroke symptoms include:
- SUDDEN numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg - especially on one side of the body.
- SUDDEN confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
- SUDDEN trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
- SUDDEN trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
- SUDDEN severe headache with no known cause."
The group also came up with the acronym "FAST" to better assess a potential stroke episode:
FACE: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?ace droop?
ARMS: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
SPEECH: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?
TIME: If you observe any of these signs, call 9-1-1 immediately.
A Toronto-area woman became an instant celebrity online after she posted her "stroke selfie" online. Stacey Yepes quite didn't know stroke signs and symptoms. She was having her third stroke in three days, and that prompted her to record a video of what she was feeling.
"The sensation is happening again," she said. "It's all tingling on left side."
"I don't know why this is happening to me."
Yepes has previously sought professional help for the unusual feeling she had, but was misdiagnosed by doctors. She was told that her numbness and slurred speech were all cause by stress.
"I think it was just to show somebody, because I knew it was not stress-related," she said in an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
"And I thought if I could show somebody what was happening, they would have a better understanding."
Do you know what to do if you see stroke signs and symptoms?
