Stroke or Heart Attack?

I found this in one of my many files called "Important Papers" and thought it might be a good idea to share it with those who read my blog. You may even want to make a copy of it to stick in your own file of important papers. Or maybe you're a fatalist and would rather just let nature take it course.

Subject: Stroke or Heart Attack?

Is It A Stroke?

This might be a lifesaver if we can remember the three questions!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify.

Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster for the stroke victim. A stroke

       victim may suffer brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the

       symptoms of a stroke.

Any bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

     1)Ask the individual to smile.

     2)Ask him or her to raise both arms.

     3)Ask the person to speak a simple sentence.

* If he or she has trouble with any of these tasks, call 9-1-1 immediately, and describe  

       the symptoms to the dispatcher.

Is It A Heart Attack?

Let's say it's 6.15 P.M. and you're driving home (alone of course), after an unusually

       hard day on the job.

You're really tired, upset, and frustrated.

Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to radiate out into

      your arm and up into your jaw.

You are only about five miles from the hospital nearest your home.

Unfortunately you don't know if you'll be able to make it that far.

You have been trained in CPR, but the guy that taught the course did not tell you how

     to perform it on yourself.

HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE

Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, without help, the person

     whose heart is beating improperly and who begins to feel faint, has only about 10

     seconds left before losing consciousness.

However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very

     vigorously. A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and the cough must

     be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the chest.

A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two seconds without let-up until

     help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again. Deep breaths get

     oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the

     blood circulating.

The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm.

In this way, heart attack victims can get to a hospital.