Strokes can strike anyone. Help often falls to a family member, a workmate, or a passer-by. You do not need a medical background to change what happens next. The whole response is quick to learn, and much of what leads to a stroke can be turned around long before one happens.
What is a Stroke?
A stroke is a medical emergency that happens when blood flow to the brain is cut off. A blockage or a burst in one of these vessels ends the supply to whatever part of the brain lies beyond it. Once blood flow to the brain is cut, a stroke occurs brain cells in the affected area die within minutes from brain damage.
Types of Stroke: Ischaemic, Haemorrhagic, and Transient Ischaemic Attacks (TIA)
Strokes are classified by what disrupts the blood supply.
An ischaemic stroke happens when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel and cuts blood flow to an area of the brain. This is the most common type, accounting for about four in five strokes. The clot can form inside the artery, or it can form elsewhere in the body before breaking loose and travelling to the brain. This is called an embolic stroke.
A haemorrhagic stroke happens when a blood vessel bursts and bleeds into or around the brain tissue. A common cause is a weak, ballooning spot on an artery wall, called an aneurysm, that ruptures. Another is a tangle of arteries and veins, called an arteriovenous malformation. Bleeding inside the brain itself is a cerebral haemorrhage.
A transient ischaemic attack is a short, temporary blockage that breaks on its own, so the symptoms pass. A TIA is a warning sign of a possible future stroke, so it needs the same urgent check by a doctor.
The F.A.S.T. Check For Recognising The Signs and Symptoms Of A Stroke
Most strokes show at least one of three signs, and the F.A.S.T. test is the quickest way to check for them. The Stroke Foundation recommends it for the signs of stroke:
Face: look at their face and check for drooping on one side, such as a mouth or eye that has dropped.
Arms: ask them to lift both arms and watch for one drifting down or not moving.
Speech: ask them to say a short sentence and listen for slurred or muddled words.
Time: call Triple Zero (000) straight away.
Other signs and symptoms include sudden numbness or weakness down one side of the body, sudden confusion or trouble understanding speech, blurred or lost vision, a sudden loss of balance, and a severe headache with no clear cause. These can appear alone or together, and they come on suddenly.
First Aid Steps To Take Before The Ambulance Arrives
The first action is to call Triple Zero (000) and say you suspect a stroke. Note the time the signs first appeared, and tell the paramedics.
Do not give the person anything to eat or drink, and do not give any medication, including aspirin. Swallowing is often unsafe during a stroke, and some strokes are bleeds that aspirin can make worse.
If the person is awake, help them sit or lie in a comfortable position with their head and shoulders supported, loosen any tight clothing, and keep them warm. Stay with them and keep them calm, and remember they may understand you even if they cannot answer. If they become drowsy or unresponsive but are still breathing, roll them onto their side into the recovery position. If they stop breathing, start CPR.
Stroke Risk Factors You Can Change
Most strokes are linked to risk factors that a person can change. High blood pressure is the single biggest risk of stroke, and it damages artery walls over years. Getting it checked and keeping it in range can remove a large part of your risk.
Smoking, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes all create higher risk, and each improves when treated with simple lifestyle changes. Day to day, regular activity, less salt and saturated fat, and limiting alcohol lower your risk further.
First Aid Training For Strokes
The outcome of a stroke can hinge on the person standing closest when it happens. The faster you act, the more of the brain to the brain you can save. First aid training for strokes gives you a guided run-through of the whole response, from spotting the signs to handing over to paramedics, so the actions are familiar before you ever need them. Your quick thinking may be all a loved one has before an ambulance can reach them, and few things you learn this year will count for more.
FAQs
Can Younger People Have A Stroke?
Yes. Strokes can happen at any age, including in children and newborns, though the risk rises as people get older.
How Is The Type Of Stroke Diagnosed?
A brain scan shows it. Doctors use a CT or MRI scan to see whether a clot or a bleed caused the stroke.
Does All Stroke Treatment Need Rehabilitation?
No. Rehabilitation is used when a stroke leaves lasting effects on movement, speech, or thinking, and it usually begins in hospital with a team of physiotherapists, speech pathologists, and occupational therapists.
