Whitney Adams
Clinical Nurse II, Emergency Department
The sensation hits you abruptly. You have difficulty speaking or understanding what’s going on around you. You lose feeling in an arm or leg. Your head is pounding.
You could be having a stroke, and with a stroke time is brain. It is important to recognize these symptoms quickly and seek emergency medical attention.
Stroke warning signs include:
- sudden, severe headache with no known cause
- sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
- sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
If you notice any of these symptoms, call 911 immediately! It is also important to note the time at which the symptoms began because the treatment for stroke is time sensitive.
Durham Regional Hospital is a certified stroke center. When a stroke patient arrives in our Emergency Department, we issue an alert called a Code Stroke. This alert notifies a neurologist, the Lab and Radiology departments, nurses and other providers that a potential stroke patient is in the hospital. This process helps ensure fast, efficient care.
Remember: time is brain! When you or a family member experience the warning signs of stroke, call 911!
