Figuring out if someone is having a stroke can be crucial to getting them medical attention immediately. If you’re able, you can even identify a small stroke in yourself. Do these four things:
1. Ask the person to talk and speak one simple sentence (checking for physical speech issues and brain function)
2. Ask them to raise both of their arms above their head (checking for paralysis on one side of the body)
3. Ask them to smile (checking for a lopsided look, indicating one-sided paralysis)
4. As them to stick their tongue straight out (checking for lopsidedness or inability to move their tongue)
If the person has any of these issues, get them medical attention immediately. With a stroke, timeliness means survival and rehabilitation.
