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Providing first aid for a stroke. Video: How to distinguish a migraine from a stroke

Stroke- Acute cerebrovascular accident (CVA), which leads to damage or death of nerve cells.

If you have symptoms of a stroke in yourself or another person, call an ambulance immediately!

First aid for stroke

Refers to emergency conditions, therefore, at the first sign of it, it is necessary to urgently call an ambulance or take the patient to a medical facility.

Before the ambulance arrives, you need to provide first aid, because. every minute of a stroke is very important.

To provide first aid for a stroke, do the following:

1. Place the patient in such a way that his head was raised by about 30 °.

2. If the patient has lost consciousness and is on the floor, move him to a more comfortable position.

3. If the patient has prerequisites for vomiting, turn his head to the side so that the vomit does not enter the respiratory system. If this has already happened, it is necessary to free the airways, laying the patient on his side as well and clean the oral cavity.

4. Do not let the patient drink or eat food, because. if he has spasms in the airways, he may suffocate.

5. Make sure the casualty has fresh air. Open a vent or window to let fresh air into the room. Remove tight clothing, loosen shirt collars, tight belts or waistbands.

6. If possible, and the level of glucose. Recorded indicators must be recorded and reported to the arriving doctors. It should also be noted that with increased pressure, you should not immediately lower it, because. in the first hours of a stroke, high blood pressure is a necessary norm, due to the adaptation of the brain. Only with time, you can give the patient a medicine that lowers.

Stroke is a life-threatening disease, in most cases leading to disability and even death. The likelihood of developing dangerous consequences depends on the time interval that has elapsed between the peak of the attack and the provision of medical care in the hospital. A stroke victim, people around him and doctors have no more than 4 hours to restore blood flow to the brain. Therefore, prompt first aid for a stroke is extremely important, during this period it is necessary to recognize an attack by characteristic symptoms, reduce the impact of the attack by providing primary care before the arrival of doctors, take the victim to the hospital and prescribe treatment.

It is possible to recognize a stroke and the nature of its development mechanism by a complex of general neurological and specific symptoms in order to provide first aid in a timely manner. Common primary signs that occur spontaneously without any precursors include:

  • numbness of the limbs - in most cases on one side of the body;
  • darkening and double vision;
  • impaired coordination and orientation;
  • brief bouts of amnesia;
  • speech disorder.

Manifestations ischemic stroke have their own characteristics:

  • paralysis of the body or limbs develops on one side, almost always the opposite side of the brain cell lesion;
  • the gait becomes unsteady and shaky, often the victim cannot stand on his own;
  • speech becomes difficult, articulation and perception of what is said is reduced;
  • occurs, accompanied by bouts of vomiting.

I will attack hemorrhagic stroke quite often preceded by a sharp increase in blood pressure - a hypertensive crisis. As a result, an artery ruptures and a hemorrhage occurs in the brain tissue. At the time of an attack, a person has:

  • sharp and unbearable pain, it feels like tearing the head;
  • rapid heart rate;
  • distortion of the face against the background of increased muscle tone;
  • paralysis;
  • high photosensitivity, dots and blurry circles before the eyes.

Signs that allow you to finally diagnose a stroke before the arrival of doctors include:

  • asymmetrical smile and the impossibility of raising one of the corners of the lips;
  • impaired articulation and inhibited speech;
  • asymmetrical movement of the limbs when trying to simultaneously lift them up.

If, with a sudden deterioration in well-being, a person has at least a few of the described signs, an intensive care ambulance should be immediately called and taken to a hospital.

At the first signs of a stroke, despite the presence of consciousness in the victim and his assurance that everything is in order, the people nearby should promptly call an ambulance, while describing in detail to the dispatcher the symptoms of brain failure. Before the arrival of doctors, the patient must be provided with primary care to alleviate the condition:

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  1. In the case of special instructions from the dispatcher, follow them implicitly.
  2. Gently place the victim in a position in which the head is raised to 30 ° and slightly turned to one side. This is necessary so that in the event of sudden vomiting, food debris does not enter the respiratory organs, and in case of loss of consciousness, the tongue does not sunk.
  3. Open a window or vent so that fresh air enters the room where the victim is located.
  4. Reassure the patient if he is overexcited or begins to get nervous due to limited mobility. It should be explained in a calm tone that medical assistance will soon be provided to him to alleviate his condition.
  5. Measure the pressure and, if possible, the level of sugar, record the results of the measurements in order to subsequently inform the doctors.
  6. Remove or unfasten clothing items that squeeze the throat, chest, belt.
  7. In the absence of consciousness, breathing and heartbeat, immediately perform chest compressions and artificial respiration.

There are also methods of primary care for stroke, which are not always recognized by traditional medicine, but are quite effective in practice. The main one is the method of acupuncture. An unconscious victim is pierced with an alcohol-treated needle on the fingertips until 2 or -3 drops of blood appear.

Also, with a pronounced asymmetry of the face, the patient's earlobes are intensively rubbed, after which they are pierced with a needle until blood appears. This technique quite often brings the patient to consciousness and allows you to relieve tension in the structures of the brain.

to the actions that forbidden to perform if a stroke is suspected, include:

  • strong shaking of the victim, sudden movements, screams and hysteria of others;
  • feeding and drinking plenty of water;
  • bringing to life with ammonia and other acid-containing agents;
  • attempts to eliminate the symptoms of brain failure on their own with pharmaceutical means;

First aid for stroke

Before the arrival of the ambulance team, it is not recommended for the victim to independently give any medications, except in cases where the ambulance dispatcher can make a single appointment based on the symptoms described.

Medical assistance is provided by ambulance paramedics. Directly in the resuscitation vehicle, doctors perform operational actions aimed at maintaining the vital signs of the body. These include:

  • indirect heart massage;
  • artificial respiration;
  • tracheal intubation;
  • the introduction of blood-thinning drugs for symptoms of ischemic stroke;
  • the introduction of anticonvulsants in severe convulsive syndrome;
  • lowering blood pressure with medications, if its indicators are critically increased;
  • the introduction of osmodiuretics, if the victim shows signs of cerebral edema;
  • the introduction of thrombogenic agents, if hemorrhagic stroke is diagnosed;
  • the introduction of drugs that improve blood flow through the vessels and arteries.

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After the patient is delivered to the hospital, it is extremely important to promptly confirm the preliminary diagnosis with instrumental methods and prescribe adequate treatment aimed at restoring blood flow and damaged nerve tissues.

As you know, timely assistance after a stroke can greatly facilitate treatment and prevent the occurrence of possible complications. But before providing first aid, all people should know which method can accurately recognize the first signs of a stroke in a person.

How to spot early signs of a stroke

To accurately recognize the symptoms of a stroke in a person, one technique should be carried out, which has the abbreviation "USP". These three characters stand for:

  • "U" - smile. Ask the patient to smile as naturally as possible. During an attack of a stroke, the smile will be crooked and asymmetrical, one corner of the lips will be down, while in a normal state it should be even and symmetrical. This is due to the fact that the muscles of the face do not obey the person well, since the part of the brain responsible for facial expressions is affected.
  • "Z" - to speak. Or make any suggestion. With a stroke, a person will not be able to speak smoothly and calmly, it will be blurred, slurred, or stuttering will be heard. You may get the impression that a drunk person is talking. It is this indicator that often ruins the lives of people who have had a stroke on the street, because passers-by confuse it with a drunk person.
  • "P" - raise your hands. With a stroke, a person will not be able to raise both arms to the same level. The hand that will be raised lower will indicate the defeat of this side of the body.

Also, a person with a stroke attack will not be able to stick out his tongue normally. One side of it will be crooked, irregular in shape, or even the tongue will fall on one of the sides.

Providing first aid at home or on the street

Since a stroke is a very complex and serious disease, the very first first aid must be provided in the first time after an attack, namely in the first 3 hours. The loss of precious time after an attack can be tantamount to the loss of a person's life.

With a stroke

After determining a stroke in a patient, before the arrival of an ambulance, it is worth using standard medical measures of care

  • Calm down and realize the seriousness of the situation, because the health of a person who needs your help in these seconds depends only on you. This is also important for the patient, because a fussy and panicky state will only provoke an increase in blood pressure, which can be very fraught with further consequences for the patient. After that, without delay, call an ambulance
  • Lay the person upright, but so that his head is raised 30 degrees. This will ensure the reduction of cerebral edema
  • You can give the patient about ten glycine tablets, which will help preserve the vital activity of brain cells and not harm the patient in the future when prescribing treatment
  • Immediately start collecting all the things you need for the first time (documents, insurance policy, bedding and personal linen) and medications previously taken by the patient
  • It is strictly forbidden to give the patient food or drink, because they can cause and / or intensify vomiting, because the person's tongue may partially function at this time. Also, eating and drinking can cause seizures with loss of consciousness. A full stomach during a stroke is dangerous because the contents from it enter the respiratory tract, which can result in aspiration pneumonia.
  • Do not hesitate with any of the above points, because the sooner a person is in the hospital, the sooner he will be prescribed an examination and treatment.

The arriving ambulance team will perform all the necessary procedures and injections that meet the standard of providing necessary medical care for heart failure.

Attention! It is categorically impossible to move a person to another place, because the vessels can burst during a stroke, and moving a person to another place can only aggravate the situation.

If the person is unconscious

Follow these guidelines here:

  • After laying the person upright with the head placed 30 degrees from the floor, try to assess the condition
    the vital functions of important organs - the respiratory and cardiovascular systems and call an ambulance
  • If blood pressure is irregular, breathing is disturbed and you do not feel an adequate breath of the patient, then you need to quickly perform the Peter Safar technique: tilt the patient's head, open his mouth and push his jaw out without any extra effort. This will help ensure normal breathing in an unconscious state. If there is vomit in the mouth, they must be removed with a napkin or paper towel. If the patient has dentures, then they need to be removed. When the ambulance arrives, the team will install an air duct.

Stroke and acute heart failure

  • If possible and able to measure the pulse and pressure, be sure to do this, and then report the obtained indicators to the ambulance team
  • Lay the patient on the right side of the body. This manipulation will avoid blocking the entrance to the respiratory tract with the tongue.
  • If breathing is normal, then simply turn the patient's head to either side. This position is safe in case of vomiting or vomiting.

bloodletting

There is one unconventional way from a Chinese professor that will help a person who has had a stroke to alleviate their condition. And this method is called bloodletting from the lobes of the fingers on the hands. Carry out this procedure in the following sequence:

  • Place the patient upright with the head slightly elevated. After that, the bloodletting process can begin. To do this, you need a syringe or an ordinary sewing needle, only sterilized in advance. To sterilize the needle, it can be held over a fire.
  • Next, you need to prick all ten fingers a few millimeters from the nail to bleed
  • After a few minutes, the patient should come to his senses if he is unconscious.
  • It may happen that the mouth of the patient after bloodletting is twisted. In this case, pull it by the ears until they turn red. After that, you can also pierce the earlobes with a needle or syringe.

After the procedure, you only need to wait for the arrival of an ambulance, which will provide full and necessary medical care.

In no case is it possible to completely solve the problem on your own, because a stroke requires qualified medical care.


We offer a video recording of the Good Morning program, which tells how to recognize the symptoms of a stroke and how to help with a stroke:

Providing first aid in a medical institution

Medical care in an institution is significantly different from first aid at home or on the street, because the medical approach involves the use of specialized drugs and injections.

With a microstroke

During an attack of a microstroke, medical personnel will perform tomography and other necessary diagnostic studies.

With ischemic stroke

In ischemic stroke, doctors will first of all introduce a solution to dissolve blood clots and will constantly monitor blood pressure readings, since they are very important for assessing the patient's condition.
To normalize blood pressure indicators, doctors can use intravenous injections with Dibazol or Clonidine. If the desired effect after the introduction of the above drugs is absent, then doctors can use ganglionic blockers.

With hemorrhagic stroke

Having noticed the main and first signs of a stroke attack in a person, one should, without delay, call an emergency ambulance team, because the lack of medical procedures can lead to the death of a person.

Stroke is a dangerous disease, which is expressed in impaired cerebral circulation and a number of negative symptoms. Every year, this diagnosis is made to half a million people in Russia alone, while up to a third of all patients die. Provided at an early stage, qualified and correct first aid, as well as prompt delivery of the patient to the hospital, double the likelihood of survival.

The first signs of a cerebral stroke

In most cases (when or), a stroke has its own precursors and the first signs by which it is possible to accurately diagnose cerebrovascular accident.

  1. Loss of consciousness and stupor.
  2. Severe drowsiness or vice versa - arousal.
  3. Palpitation with dizziness.
  4. Sweating, nausea and vomiting.
  5. Partial or complete loss of orientation in time and / or space.
  6. Partial or complete loss of control over certain parts of the body, paralysis of the lower and upper limbs.
  7. Hemiparesis in the acute stage.
  8. Violations of visual perception and the work of the speech apparatus, loss of sensitivity.

If you suspect, you need to urgently call an ambulance, preferably an ambulance. After that, start to proceed with the following activities:

  1. Lay the person horizontally and place a pillow under the head, lifting it above the body at an angle of 25-30 degrees.
  2. Open sashes and windows indoors, or position the person in the shade if they are outside.
  3. If the patient begins to vomit, immediately turn him on his side so that he does not choke.
  4. Maintain contact with the patient if he is conscious, but in no case give him food or drink.
  5. Immediately after placing the person in a horizontal position, loosen the person's knots, belt, tie, and other tight clothing.
  6. Measure blood pressure - if it is elevated, immediately give a beta-blocker, such as Atenolol.
  7. In the event of the disappearance of breathing or cardiac arrest, carry out resuscitation. Perform a precordial strike (with the edge of a clenched fist, in the region of the lower middle third of the sternum, two centimeters above the xiphoid process) - this will start the work of the heart. After that, start chest compressions and artificial respiration.

Actions of a patient with a stroke

  1. At the first suspicion of a stroke, it is urgent to inform others about the problem and take a horizontal position with a pillow under your head.
  2. Do not self-medicate, drink water, or drink liquids.
  3. In most cases, with a stroke, a person cannot independently and adequately control his own actions, so he cannot take any additional actions. The patient should inform relatives, friends or an ambulance as soon as possible about his condition before the loss of speech function or paralysis.

To prevent ischemic stroke (primary or recurrent), you should:

  1. Change your lifestyle radically.
  2. Quit smoking and alcohol addiction.
  3. Periodically monitor blood pressure - if it regularly exceeds the parameters of 140 to 90, you should consult a doctor.
  4. Minimize the amount of stressful situations.
  5. Treat any, even not too dangerous, cardiovascular diseases, be constantly monitored by a doctor if you have diabetes.
  6. Normalize weight by going on a diet and exercising regularly.

The patient successfully survived the stroke - now he needs a comprehensive recovery, which includes a number of medical, physiological and socio-psychological procedures.

The most important stage is the first three months, it is during this period that motor and other functions begin to recover. In the absence of progress, the chances of a full recovery are practically absent.

The list of classical techniques includes medicinal conservative therapy, classes with a massage therapist, a speech therapist, physiotherapy, kinesio- and neurophysiotherapy, as well as ergo-adaptation.

Useful exercises

Any physical and other types of exercises can be carried out only after prior agreement with the attending physician, who will develop an individual training scheme with the exact number of approaches and repetition cycles.

If the patient is on bed rest and cannot move independently, then simple extension / flexion / rotation of the elbows, knees, feet, fingers and other parts of the body is usually recommended to him. It is rational to use longet and other medical systems.

In addition, it helps to restore control over movements by grabbing the legs with the hands above the ankle, raising the arms above the head with a smooth amplitude, as well as rotating the eyeballs, visual fixation on distant / near objects, etc.

In a sitting or standing position, the range of exercises is much larger:

  1. From a sitting position, raise your knees to your chest, arching your back and holding your breath at the peak of the exercise.
  2. Sitting on a chair, bring your shoulder blades together and tilt your head back.
  3. Raise the kugs above your head and lower them to your knees.
  4. Extend your arms to the sides with an expander.
  5. From a standing position (feet shoulder-width apart), tilt your torso to the sides, then slowly squat (feet together).
  6. Throw a small object on the floor, then pick it up unaided and place it on the table.
  7. Other exercises.

In addition, do not forget about the restoration of memory and speech. If it is easier to deal with the second one by performing simple exercises to push the tongue forward, fold the lips into a tube and other mimic active actions, then it is more difficult to restore memory - complex exercises are needed, including arithmetic and logical training, as well as taking nootropic drugs.

In this difficult period of time for the patient, proper nutrition will become one of the cornerstones of a quick and effective rehabilitation of the patient. Main theses:

  1. After an attack and restoration of the patient's physiological minimum, he needs at least two liters of liquid per day in the form of broths, weak tea, low-fat milk, etc.
  2. In the acute and subacute period of the disease, the calorie content of food should be low, but at the same time, the nutritional value is sufficient to maintain normal life.
  3. In the first days after a stroke, food is carefully ground into gruel and fed to a person from a teaspoon. Drink - from a miniature teapot or a special bottle.
  4. In the absence of a swallowing reflex, food is delivered to the body through a probe, naturally it should be liquid with the addition of vitamins. In case of a severe neurological disorder and loss of basic motor functions, intravenous administration of nutrient solutions is used.
  5. After the final restoration of the swallowing reflex and a general improvement in the condition of the body, it is allowed to introduce more solid foods - vegetables, steam cutlets, mashed potatoes, soft-boiled eggs, etc.

The basic characteristics of a post-stroke diet include avoiding sugary and fatty foods, salt, spicy snacks, alcohol, strong tea/coffee, and any type of marinades/smoked meats. It is desirable for hypertensive patients to introduce more buckwheat, dried apricots, cabbage and figs into the daily diet - they contain magnesium and potassium salts that are useful after a stroke.

Nutritionists note that people who have had a stroke often experience regular constipation. It is advisable to fight them not with medications and an enema, but with the right selection of a nutritional scheme, which includes, in addition to all of the above, the use of exclusively black bread from wholemeal flour, prunes, honey, fresh fruits (excluding those that increase blood pressure), as well as mineral laxative water.

Useful video

Elena Malysheva in the program "Live healthy." First aid for stroke

Stroke First Aid

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First aid for a stroke should be provided to a person as soon as possible. Correctly taken actions, as well as measures aimed at saving lives, will alleviate the condition of the victim before the arrival of qualified medical workers.

The ease of subsequent recovery of damaged cells, as well as the nervous system, directly depends on how correctly these actions are performed. It is necessary to take the person to the hospital within 3 hours after the discovery of the disease.

Priority measures

First aid for a stroke at home should be provided as correctly as possible. Regardless of where the stroke occurred and what caused the stroke, caregivers should act according to the following algorithm:

  • Do not panic;
  • Assess the general condition of the victim. First aid for a stroke begins with identifying the presence of consciousness, breathing, and heartbeat;
  • Call an ambulance;
  • When the first signs of a stroke are detected, it is necessary to provide resuscitation assistance, but only if clearly necessary;
  • The correct position of the patient's body is also very important. Before providing first aid for a stroke, you need to lay the person correctly, on his back or on his side;
  • Emergency care for a stroke involves the provision of oxygen to facilitate breathing;
  • You need to constantly pay attention to the state of the person.

The above describes the general measures to be taken in the event of a stroke. First aid must be competent and timely, so that a person has not only a chance to survive, but also to fully recover from an illness. If there are pronounced violations of the patient's well-being, all measures must be taken very quickly. It is better if first aid for heart attack and stroke is performed by several people.

Detailed description of required steps

It is important to observe all the subtleties, because any mistake can worsen the situation.

But even if the signs of a stroke and microstroke in a woman are very obvious, there is no need to panic. Responders need to act quickly. Fear and unnecessary movements can lengthen the time to help and lead to negative consequences.

The patient should be reassured if he is conscious. The first thing to do in case of a stroke before the ambulance arrives is to assure the conscious person that they will definitely be helped. Illness of this kind always begins suddenly, so a strong stress reaction will be present necessarily.

Anxiety can exacerbate an already deteriorating state of the brain.

Calling an ambulance is very important, you should make a call as soon as possible. A minimal suspicion of a microstroke should be the basis for contacting specialists who are able to understand the situation much better and more correctly. Having phoned, you should transfer the data about the incident to the dispatcher, clearly name the place. All this will help save precious minutes while the health workers are on the way, first-aid medical care should be provided.

The following factors will help assess the condition:

  • The presence of consciousness. Absence, as well as cloudiness, are a sign of a serious condition. This does not happen in mild cases.
  • Breath. Action algorithm involves an assessment of breathing and the presence of its violations, for example, discontinuity. Artificial respiration should only be given to a person if there is no chest movement.
  • Pulse. You should listen to the heartbeat to understand its frequency and the presence of a rhythm. It is allowed to do a heart massage only if the pulse is not absent at all.

It is equally important to understand the features of a stroke and the symptoms in order to provide first aid in accordance with them. You need to ask if severe pain in the head bothers you, if dizziness is present. in men and women - a distorted face, the inability to smile or make another simple facial action, the presence of a speech disorder, less often - its complete absence.

There may also be weakness, numbness of one or both sides, the presence of immobility. You need to understand if there is visual impairment and problems with coordination of movements. The combination of the symptoms described above indicate the need for emergency care.

Correct position

Regardless of the presence of problems with consciousness, it is necessary to provide a person with peace. Movement, and especially attempts to move independently, should be excluded.

First aid initially boils down to the need to lay the victim on his back, raising his head and chest, if he is conscious. A horizontal position, implying a turn of the head to one side, will be necessary for fainting, convulsions.

The use of medicines

When health workers have already been called, first aid does not involve the use of medicines. But if the process of delivery to the hospital is delayed, the following can help the brain, which are preferably administered intravenously:

  • Paracetam;
  • Thiocetam;
  • Nootropil;
  • Cortexin;
  • Furosemide;
  • L-lysine;
  • Actovegin.

Measures for micro stroke

The main features of the selection of the diet are as follows:

  • After an attack, you need to restore the physiological minimum. To do this, a person is given from two liters of liquid per day, which can be in the form of various broths, weak tea, and milk.
  • The acute period is the time when you should eat low-calorie food, but the nutritional value should be sufficient to fully support the patient's life.
  • The first day after a stroke is the most difficult, food at this time is ground to gruel, a person needs to be fed. It is necessary to drink from a small teapot or a special bottle.
  • If there is no swallowing reflex, food is delivered using a probe, in which case it is prepared as liquid as possible, with vitamins. In case of serious neurological disorders, if motor functions are lost, it is quite possible to make a decision on the intravenous administration of special solutions.
  • After the ability to swallow is restored, and the general condition improves, you can eat solid foods: vegetables, steamed cutlets, mashed potatoes, eggs.

Features of the diet

Proper nutrition is just as important as timely medical care. A person should completely abandon fatty and sweet, you can not drink coffee or tea. If a person recovering from a stroke is hypertensive, his diet must contain a lot of buckwheat, figs, oatmeal, which contain very useful magnesium and potassium salts.

To normalize the functioning of the digestive system, it is advisable not to resort to the use of medicines, but to choose the right nutrition scheme. It is better for a person to use only black bread made from coarse flour. Drink plenty of water and eat fresh fruits.

First aid effectiveness level

If you believe the statistics, then the correct provision of medical care to the victim and the coordinated actions of people who help a person before the arrival of doctors provide huge benefits in terms of recovery.

If all stroke actions are done correctly, the chances are as follows:

  • 50-60% of massive strokes end up saving the patient's life;
  • 75-90 percent chance of complete recovery with mild stroke;
  • The chance of recovery and restoration of the abilities of brain cells improves by 60-70%, regardless of the type of stroke.

It must be understood that an attack can occur in any person, regardless of age and location. To prevent a stroke, you should carefully monitor your diet, physical and mental condition. Preferably, forget about. The benefit will be the control of one's own and the timely appeal to the doctor when it is exceeded.

The minimum amount of stress will also help you feel healthier for longer. It is important to treat any diseases of the vessels and especially the heart, even if they are not so dangerous. In case of diabetes mellitus, it is necessary to constantly be observed by a doctor.