Picture the situation: You’re enjoying a pleasurable, relaxing evening with friends or family, merrily chatting to them about all kinds of interesting topics, when one of them suddenly disengages from the conversation, begins to lose their balance and slumps to the floor. It’s a frightening scenario and not one you’ll ever want to witness. The sad truth is that it is a regular occurrence, with a stroke happening somewhere in the world every few seconds.
Irish home care company Home Care Plus (www.homecareplus.ie) created this infographic which helps people to get a better understanding of how strokes can occur, what to do if you see one happening, and how to care for somebody who has suffered a stroke. The person’s chances of surviving a stroke can be helped greatly by taking swift action if you notice signs such as their face drooping to one side, their speech becoming slurred or their arms going numb.
Even if the victim survives their stroke, they are likely to need plenty of care afterwards, so it’s important to know how to treat the person in this recovery phase. It is vital to listen to what the person is telling you, as you cannot accurately gauge how they are feeling, although it is OK to encourage them to be independent and to try and exercise. Also, if you are caring for a stroke victim, remember not to neglect your own health. Your natural disposition is to pour all of your energy into tending to their needs, but failing to look after your own isn’t going to do anybody any favours.
Take a look at the infographic below to find out more about the risk factors and consequences of stroke.