Much more publicity is given to the symptoms of a heart attack than a stroke. Yet like a heart attack, a stroke is an emergency that requires immediate medical attention. It's essential to get to the hospital as soon as symptoms start, since drug therapy is most likely to be effective within the first three hours of stroke onset.
People who call a hospital's medical-advice healthline instead of 911 for a suspected stroke can lose critical time due to delays or misinformation, according to a study published in the journal Stroke (Volume 38, page 2376) .
The researchers called 46 U.S. hospital healthlines and presented operators with a typical scenario of stroke symptoms. The operators were then asked which of four responses they would give: wait and see if symptoms subside; call your primary care doctor; drive to your local urgent-care center; or call 911 for an ambulance. While 78% of the healthline operators gave the correct response -- call 911 -- 22% recommended that the caller contact his or her primary care doctor, including 32% of the operators who worked for healthlines at certified stroke centers. Moreover, 39% of the healthline calls were transferred at least once (usually to the emergency department), and one quarter of the operators couldn't identify even one sign or symptom of a stroke.
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A stroke is a medical emergency and time is of the essence, so if you suspect that you or someone else is having a stroke, immediately call 911, not a medical-advice healthline. Emergency-room doctors are the ones who should make the decision whether symptoms are of a stroke or not.
Listed below are the symptoms of a stroke, as well as what to do in the event of a stroke.
Symptoms of Stroke:
- Sudden weakness or numbness in the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body.
- Sudden loss, blurring, or dimness of vision.
- Mental confusion, loss of memory, or sudden loss of consciousness.
- Slurred speech, loss of speech, or problems understanding others.
- Sudden, severe headache with no apparent cause.
- Unexplained dizziness, drowsiness, loss of coordination, or falls.
- Nausea and vomiting, especially when accompanied by any of the above symptoms.
Actions To Take in the Event of a Stroke:
- Stay calm. Ignore any tendency to downplay a stroke symptom; it's common for people to deny the possibility of something as serious as a stroke. Don't hesitate to take prompt action.
- Call or have someone call an ambulance. (Dial 911 in most parts of the United States.) Be sure to give your name, telephone number, and exact whereabouts.
- While waiting for the ambulance, the person suffering the stroke should be made as comfortable as possible and should not eat or drink anything other than water.
- If an ambulance cannot arrive for an extended period of time, a family member or neighbor should drive the stroke patient to the hospital. Under no circumstances should the person experiencing the stroke symptoms attempt to drive.
- Notify the stroke patient's doctor. He or she can provide the hospital with the patient’s medical history, which may be important for determining the best type of treatment for the stroke.
