Signs of a stroke

STROKE: Remember the 1st Three Letters.....S.T.R.

This was sent to me so I don't know how true this is, so if any doctors or nurses see this, please feel free to comment on if this is correct and knowledgible info or just hokey. If it is true and we can save just one life, it's totally worth posting.

During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics). She said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and gave her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Later that evening, Ingrid's husband called to tell everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital and Ingrid had passed away. She had suffered a stroke earlier at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the warning signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today.

A neurologist says the trick is getting the stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough. Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by remembering the first three letters - S-T-R and by asking three simple questions:
S = Ask the individual to SMILE.
T = Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE Coherently. (Example - It is sunny out today) ?
R = Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call an emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

New Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue
Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.