I see a few people have posted this picture and story on Facebook recently with the advice “New Indicator for Stroke! Ask the person to stick out their tongue and see if it is crooked,”
The sentiment was great - The facts were a bit twisted (If you are a sharer then share this with as many people as you want to)
Firstly it isn't new, this circular has been going round for at least 2 years.
Second, the tongue test leaves room for multiple interpretations of the results. How crooked is crooked? How far to one side does the tongue have to go before it can be a clear sign of stroke? There are too many variables. What’s more, it’s entirely possible for someone who has had stroke and to able to stick their tongue out straight.
How do you check for a Stroke?
Patients might be suffering from an unusual headache, they may have blacked-out or are acting in a confused manner and / or have lost feeling / function down one side.
Use F.A.S.T.
FAST (face, arms, speech, time) does not cover every possible symptom of stroke. However, it is easy to remember and it is estimated that about 8 out of 10 people with a stroke will have one or more FAST symptoms.
FACE – Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
ARMS – Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
SPEECH– Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Are the words slurred? Can the person repeat the sentence correctly?
TIME – If the person shows any symptoms, or you are not sure if they do, time is important....
Don't delay - Call an ambulance immediately
If this has been useful - Feel free to contact me for information on first aid courses where we discuss this and many other topics
In the UK if you need to talk to someone about Stroke call 0303 3033 100
or visit www.stroke.org/talkstroke
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