The signs of a stroke can vary widely: a motor deficit, the face has dropped on one side, an arm that won’t lift normally, difficulties speaking, vision problems or numbness of a limb. They are often lateralised, which means that they only appear on one side of the body.
Symptoms of a stroke
Every year in France, 140,000 people experience a stroke. It is important that everyone knows how to react rapidly to these symptoms.
With strokes, it is often said that ‘time is brain’. This is because early diagnosis and rapid treatment can reduce mortality by 30% and reduce the severity of damage.
It is one of those rare conditions, similar to myocardial infarctions, where it is vital to call the emergency services (SAMU 15 in France) as soon as the first signs are spotted.
When the person is unable to smile, to raise one arm or repeat a simple sentence, the emergency services must be alerted as soon as possible. Just one of these three symptoms indicates a stroke, assuming it cannot be explained by another condition.
