Even though nearly every one knows someone who has had a stroke, well less than half of Americans are able to name a single stroke symptom, a panel of experts told the 24th American Heart Association Conference on Stroke and Cerebral Circulation in 1998. That means when stroke strikes, many are unaware and delay going to the hospital. A study of 272 patients presenting at hospital emergency rooms found mean arrival time at the hospital for women with stroke was 13 hours, and for men the mean was 17 hours.
Following a public awareness campaign, that time dropped to five hours for women, still not good enough. Ideally, a stroke victim should be treated within the hour with tPA, the only approved treatment for certain types of acute stroke. That's why it's so crucial to recognize the early warning signs of stroke.
Recognize early warning signs
When your brain is not receiving enough oxygen, it sends clues to your body that a problem exists. Every minute counts! Studies show that brain damage begins from the moment a stroke starts; scientists now know that there is a very short window of opportunity for treatment of the most common form of stroke.
Call 911 immediately if you experience a sudden onset of any of the following symptoms:
Weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg on one side of the body
Dimness or loss of vision, particularly in one eye
Difficulty speaking or trouble understanding speech
Severe headache with no known cause
Unexplained dizziness, unsteadiness or sudden falls, particularly with any of the other signs
