How do you understand one has stroke symptoms? After a long time ago, there is a method called FAST how to identify the early symptom of a stroke. FAST is the acronym for Facial drooping, Arm faintness, Speech difficulty or stability, and time as a reaction. But lately, a new acronym is given with more thorough detail. It is called “FASTER”. Here is the detail.
F – For Face
The main symptom comes from the face or facial impairment. It does not mean there is damage, but more on the drooping or numbness of the face. Many situations show one side of the face that has the condition. Meanwhile, the other side is normal. It is more apparent if the person is smiling or making facial expressions as one side won’t show any changes.
A – For Arm
As the face show main stroke symptoms with an imbalanced facial expression, the arms of the person also have a similar condition. This condition refers to one arm is weaker or number compared to the other one. Some people check it by trying to raise both arms for around 10 seconds or counting. If one arm begins to drop or cannot get up at all, it might be a sign of a stroke.
S – Stability
Along with the arm, there is also stability. Steadiness on the feet is found as the person who has a stroke is bound to feel dizzy or fall. At some point, people with acute stroke might unable to stand up without assistance, have difficulty walking, or cannot maintain balance. There are also possibilities that the person might lose coordination due to the stroke.
T – Talking
Due to the damage to the nerve, people might show stroke symptoms in the form of speech difficulties. This talking problem can include garbled, slurring, inability to respond properly, or showing nonsensical words. To help signify the condition, ask the people to repeat simple sentences such as Blue high sky. If they cannot understand the task, it will be a clear case.
E – Eyes
Eye or visual changes are related to the face dropping. But in many cases, the stroke does not only affect the look of the eyes, but also the vision as a whole. One thing that should be a caution is the sudden changes that occur in the patients. the condition can include complete vision loss in one of the eyes, partial loss, or double vision.
R – React
The last thing about the FAST or FASTER is not the symptom, but the reaction or the reminder for people around the patient to call the medic. If you recognize the F, A, S, and T stroke symptoms, be sure to call the help. It is essential to get the condition as soon as possible, even if the sign goes away while also remembering when the condition first began.
As easy as it sounds, a good reaction and quick treatment can help prevent stroke. Stroke can hit anytime, anywhere. What makes it more devastating is the fact that people don’t care or are unaware of the situation, making the condition worsen without a proper fix. The FASTER not only helps you identify the situation but also gets the best and fast response to the situation.
