Sign of Stroke That You Need To Know

Stroke, according to WHO, is a focal or global neurological deficit due to sudden brain dysfunction, lasting > 24 hours or death, caused solely by abnormalities of the brain's blood vessels, including eye and spinal cord strokes. Strokes can be broadly divided into blockage strokes and hemorrhage strokes. Every year in Indonesia, there are an estimated 550,000 new cases of stroke, and it is the third highest cause of death in Indonesia after cardiovascular and cancer, and is the leading cause of disability.

Stroke is caused by many risk factors that are divided into modifiable risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, heart rhythm disorders and heart valve disease, blood disorders, excess cholesterol, contraceptive pills, smoking, alcohol, obesity) and non-modifiable (age, race, gender, previous stroke).
It is very important for patients, families, friends, and the surrounding community to know the signs and symptoms of stroke because stroke is an emergency that must be taken to the hospital immediately to get immediate treatment to prevent death and disability in patients. The signs and symptoms of stroke that can be recognized by the general public are abbreviated as "F.A.S.T warning sign".

F.A.S.T warning sign consists of:
• F = Face Drooping - Is one side of the face asymmetrical or numb? Ask the patient to smile, is the smile asymmetrical / crooked?

• A = Arm Weakness - Is one side of the arm weak or numb? Ask the patient to raise both arms, does one side of the arm look down?

• S = Speech Difficulty - Does the patient have difficulty speaking / slurred speech?

• T = Time to call 911 - If one of the above is present, the patient must be taken to the nearest hospital immediately.

Other signs and symptoms of stroke that must be considered besides those mentioned above are:

• Weakness or numbness of the face, arm, leg on 1 side of the body that occurs suddenly.

• Sudden loss of consciousness, difficulty speaking or understanding speech and commands.

• Sudden difficulty seeing in 1 or both eyes.

• Double vision, momentary darkness, numbness around the mouth, ringing in the ears, difficulty swallowing, choking, sudden nasal voice.

• Difficulty walking, dizziness, sudden loss of balance.

• Sudden headache.

• Sudden spraying vomiting.

• Seizures.

If there are symptoms and signs as mentioned above, the family, friends, coworkers, and surrounding community should immediately take the patient to the hospital without delay, and the patient should be treated / consulted to a neurologist so that the death rate and disability rate can be suppressed and reduced.