At a friend’s hen party, 27-year-old British woman Joanna Whitelaw experienced a moment when her body went “suddenly numb” and her vision blurred.
The young woman, fearing that her drink had been spiked with some type of drug, was rushed out of the bar by her friends. Her boyfriend, when he helped her, also thought this was the case.
The next day, Joanna decided to go to the doctor, as the vision in her right eye did not return. At the hospital, she underwent three CT scans and an MRI. It was at that moment that the medical team discovered that the girl had suffered a stroke.
“I was having a great night, having fun with friends. When I didn’t feel well, I thought they had drugged me. I am a fit and healthy person, I go to the gym and run regularly. I never had any other symptoms of a stroke, so it was a big shock,” Joanna said in an interview with the Daily Mail.
What happens at the moment?
During her stroke, Joanna experienced a sensation of flashing lights, leading her to believe that drugs were affecting her vision.
“I told my friends and when we left, a whole side of my body was numb. I couldn’t feel my bag hanging on my shoulder and I kept asking if it was really there,” she recalls.
Joanna spent three days in the hospital and then returned home. During follow-up exams, doctors discovered that she had a cardiac malformation, characterized by a small hole in her heart. This condition is a risk factor for stroke.
“I probably always had this hole in my heart, but it had never manifested itself. So, I only found out about it now”, says Joanna. “I haven’t fully recovered yet. I’m relearning some things, but I know I’ll be fine”, says the young woman.
What to do in a situation like this?
Experiencing the symptoms of a stroke is a medical emergency that requires quick action. Here are steps to take if you or someone around you has stroke symptoms:
- Call the emergency service: In Brazil, the emergency number is 192 (SAMU). Do not waste time. The sooner treatment is started, the better the chances of recovery.
- Don’t ignore symptoms: Signs of stroke may include sudden weakness or numbness in the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body. There may also be confusion, difficulty speaking, blurred vision, sudden dizziness, loss of balance, or a sudden, severe headache.
- Note the time of onset of symptoms: This is important for doctors to assess appropriate treatment.
- Stay calm: Try to keep the person calm and comfortable while waiting for emergency medical personnel to arrive.
- Do not offer food or water: Do not give food, water or medication orally, as the person may have difficulty swallowing.
- Don’t wait for symptoms to go away: Stroke symptoms should not be ignored or minimized. Even if symptoms temporarily seem to improve, it is still important to seek immediate medical attention as serious brain damage may result.
- Be aware of risk factors: Know the risk factors for stroke, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, family history and others, and adopt prevention measures.
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