In our regular spot about mental health and wellbeing, a few quick words on spotting a stroke, and what to do next.
Hello, and a very warm welcome to the spot on the Film Stories site where we chat about mental health, wellbeing, and the things that may be affecting you or people around you. This is a weekly part of the site that we’ve been doing for many years now. Hopefully there’s something in the series of articles we’ve done that’s of use to you.
This one is quite simple. I’ve twice in my life been the first on the scene when someone close to me has had a stroke. Both times I knew something was wrong, the second time I knew immediately what was wrong. This post is a very simple one, not written by a medical professional, but with some straightforward knowledge that hopefully you’ll never need.
If you do, my simple recommendation is this: don’t piss about.
There are obvious signs of a stroke to look for:
- Slurred speech
- One side of the face has drooped
- Unable to lift both arms
Thanks to Hedda on Facebook for adding that someone who’s had a stroke is going to be unable to whistle too.
If you see these symptoms, please be aware that the clock is ticking. The best chance of a really positive recovery from a stroke is if treatment is fast. A stroke is when the blood supply to the brain is cut off: quick action can get that blood supply going quickly. Slower action inevitably starves the brain of oxygen for longer. You can probably fill in the next steps from there.
All you need to do is call an ambulance. Explain clearly that you’re being presented with symptoms of a stroke. If you have medical history and such like at hand, all the better. But raise the alarm. Get them to A&E quickly. There are brilliant health professionals who see this dozens of times a day, even though you may have only seen all of this once.
There’s extended advice here. I hope you never need it.
Thanks for reading, folks. This column will return next week.
