Stroke warning signs

Stroke is a medical emergency. Recognizing and responding immediately to the warning signs of stroke by calling 9-1-1 or your local emergency number can significantly improve survival and recovery. If a person is diagnosed with a stroke caused by a blood clot, doctors can administer a clot-busting drug available only at a hospital, and only within a few crucial hours after symptoms begin.* That’s why it is very important to be able to recognize the 5 warning signs of stroke and immediately call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number.

* Health Canada has approved the clot-busting drug called tPA to be used within 3 hours from the time symptoms begin. However, emerging science is now showing that tPA could be effective up to 4 ½ hours afterward. As a result, the Canadian Stroke Strategy has issued new Canadian Best Practices Recommendations for Stroke Care, which have included this new treatment time. Still, it will be up to the attending emergency doctors to determine when tPA may be administered or if it is appropriate to the situation.

The website known as strokebestpractices.ca has A Patient’s Guide to Canadian Best Practice Recommendations for Stroke Care to help you and your caregivers to learn more about stroke care, whether in the emergency room, during rehabilitation or back in the community.

A caution about stroke emails:

You may receive emails from well-meaning family and friends that claim to have authentic information about the signs and symptoms of a stroke. These messages usually contain incorrect information. Some may include a catchy phrase of signs to look for or certain activities to perform in order to prevent a stroke. These messages only serve to confuse or cause delay in seeking help.

A stroke is a very serious event that requires immediate medical attention. If you, or a loved one, suffer such an event, it is important to know the correct warning signs and how to act in order to get the best treatment available as early as possible.

Knowing the warning signs and calling 9-1-1, or your local emergency number immediately, is the most important thing you can do.