Stay ahead of the game, stay FAST

Strokes are the third most common cause of death in the UK after heart disease and cancer.  150,000 people suffer a stroke each year and it’s not just the elderly, 20,000 cases are people under sixty-five, including children and infants.  Today is Stroke Awareness Day so please take just a few minutes to see how you can indentify and help someone who is having a stroke.

All organs within the body require oxygen not just to function, but to survive, and this is carried around the body and transferred to the organs via the blood supply.  A stroke is when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off as without oxygen the cells begin to die.  This can lead to brain damage and ultimately death.

There are two main causes of strokes – ischaemic and haemorrhagic – and these cause a stroke in two different ways. The former accounts for over 80% of all strokes and is the result of the blood supply becoming blocked due to a clot.  The latter is when a weakened blood vessel supplying the brain bursts resulting in a bleed.  There is also a related condition known as a transient ischaemic attack where the brain’s blood supply is temporarily restricted.  This is sometimes referred to as a mini-stroke but should still be treated seriously as it can be a warning that a stroke is coming.

There are factors that cause strokes that you cannot do anything about including race, age and gender.  There are however things that you can do something about and you’ll not be surprised to hear that these include increasing exercise, decreasing smoking, moderating alcohol intake and eating a healthy diet.  A healthy lifestyle is far more likely to lead to a healthy body.

The simplest way to identify a stroke is to perform the FAST test, I have no doubt you will have seen the adverts on TV many times.

• F is for face.  Ask the patient to smile and so lift up the corners of their mouth.  If only one side lifts, then they may have lost muscle control in the other indicating a potential stroke.  The patient may also have blurred vision in one or both eyes.
• A is for arms.  Ask the patient to hold out both arms in front of them.  If one drops faster than the other then again it suggests they may have lost muscle control on one side.  They may also feel weak or numb on one or both sides of the body.
• S is for speech.  Talk to the patient and try to get them to talk back.  If their speech is slurred or inappropriate then this is another sign of a potential stroke.  The patient may also feel dizzy or have a bad headache.
• T is for time.  A stoke is a medical emergency and needs urgent hospital treatment so phone 999 immediately and tell them you suspect a stroke.  Treatment begins with a scan to establish what type of stroke it is – ischaemic or haemorrhagic.  If it is the former, as in the majority of cases, clot busting drugs can be given that could prevent further damage and increase the chances of a recovery.

Once you have called 999, help the patient into a comfortable position and monitor the vital signs as you are able to do, take their pulse and check their breathing – rate and strength for both.  Should the patient lose consciousness then check their airway, check their breathing and be prepared to perform cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

For further information on strokes, or any other condition, please look at the please look at the St John Ambulance web site.

Asthma

Today is World Asthma Day and next week is Asthma Awareness Week so with all this focus on asthma, now would seem as good a time as any to raise the awareness of a condition that affects about one in twelve people. That equates to roughly 5.4 million people across the UK and about 1,000 people in the City of Wells. Now would be a good time to learn how to treat someone who is suffering an attack.

The vast majority of people mange their asthma fine although it can have a big impact on their lives and sadly it does result in the death of three people each day in the UK. Three deaths may seem small considering the number of people with asthma, and compared to the number of deaths caused by other things like road accidents, but it is three deaths that are potentially preventable. Learning how to treat someone having an asthma attack could be the difference between a life lost and a life saved.

Asthma is a medical condition in which the air passages in the lungs produce a build up of mucus and go into spasm which can obstruct the airway and disrupt breathing. There are a number of factors that can cause this – air pollution including smoking, pollens, exercise and particular types of food are the most common. The condition can be recognised by the patient having difficulty breathing, if they're wheezing or struggling to speak. As it gets worse they may not get sufficient oxygen into their system so their peripheries such as lips, ear lobes and finger nails could turn a grey-blue colour.

Most people with asthma are aware of it and know how to control it, but there are times when it becomes worse than normal and causes distress. In this case reassurance is the main defence, so try to calm the patient down and help them to manage their breathing by encouraging them to take slow breaths. If they have a 'reliever' (usually blue) inhaler, advise them to take it. If they have a spacer device then this should be used. The spacer helps get more of the medication into the lungs to have a greater effect, particularly if they are struggling to take deep breaths.

Sit the patient down in a comfortable position but do not lie them down, as this could make it more difficult to take deep breaths. If the attack is mild then it should ease in a few minutes. If it does not ease then get them to take another dose from their inhaler.

If the attack is persistent call 999. This is if the inhaler is not having an effect or if the patient's condition worsens and breathing becomes more difficult.

Should the patient lose consciousness then check their airway, check their breathing and be prepared to perform cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Otherwise monitor the vital signs as you are able to do, take their pulse and check their breathing – rate and strength for both.

For further information on treating asthma, or any other condition, please look at the St John Ambulance web site.