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Remember the '3' steps – STR.
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
S…. Ask the individual to SMILE.
T….. Ask the person to TALK and say a simple sentence coherently (e.g. It is sunny out today)
R ….Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 111 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
Another identifying sign of a Stroke
Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked' – if it goes to one side or the other – that is also an indication of a stroke.
