Strokes

Stroke is brain injury resulting from blockage or rupture of an artery in the brain. Symptoms and signs may begin suddenly and worsen rapidly or take hours to develop to their full extent.

Symptoms and signs

These depend on the part of the brain affected, and may include

• severe headache
• blurred vision
• difficulty in swallowing, leading to drooling
• difficulty with or loss of speech
• seizures (sometimes)
• weakness or paralysis on one side of the body
• confusion
• unconsciousness.

First aid treatment

1. If the casualty is unconscious, place in the lateral position, check the airway, breathing and pulse and begin expired air resuscitation (EAR) or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if necessary.
2. Seek medical aid urgently. If a blood vessel is blocked by a clot, a drug can be given to attempt to dissolve it, provided the diagnosis is made within 2 hours.
3. If the casualty is conscious, prop on pillows and loosen any tight clothing. Keep the person warm and wipe away any dribbled saliva.
4. Check airway, breathing and pulse regularly until medical help arrives.