SYMPTOMS OF A STROKES ARE AN

Heart Attack Most typical discomfort/pain zones

Emergency
DOWNLOADING Symptoms in women are often different than in men.
Women are more likely to experience nausea, dizziness and anxiety. Other possible discomfort/pain zones
THIS APP
WILL HELP YOU ACT
FAST AND SAVE LIVES
– DO IT NOW! Heavy pressure, tightness, There may be a
crushing pain or unusual rapid, weak pulse.
discomfort in the centre This may feel like indigestion,
of the chest spread to shoulders, arms,
neck or jaw and/or last for
more than 15 minutes.
It may stop or weaken
Sweating, and then return
sickness, Sharp
TO SPEAK TO faintness or stabbing pain
SOMEONE shortness
of breath
in the left side
of the chest is
OR TO FIND OUT MORE may be usually NOT
ABOUT HEART HEALTH experienced heart pain
AND STROKES

WHAT TO DO IN AN Emergency
Get to the nearest emergency unit as quickly as possible.
Sponsored by
Time IS MUSCLE Hospitals with cath labs will be able to remove the clot
mechanically. Hospitals without cath labs will give medication to
dissolve the clot, and then transfer you to a cath lab if needed.
Every Minute Counts If someone else has a heart attack near you, call an ambulance.
Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals (Pty) Ltd, 407 Pine Ave, Randburg. Tel: +27 (011) 348-2400. If he or she stops breathing, do CPR on the person until an
Cpy. Reg. No. 1966/008618/07. BI Ref. No. GPM-STK-0029-ZA ambulance arrives.
WHAT IS A Stroke? RECOGNISING A WHAT TO DO IN AN THE BEST TREATMENT IS
Ischaemic
2 TYPES OF STROKES
Haemorrhagic
Stroke Emergency Prevention
stroke stroke Sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the body. You need to GET TO A STROKE UNIT as quickly as
Occurs Occurs Sudden unusual, severe and persistent headache. possible, as many STROKES CAN BE REVERSED if KEY RISK FACTORS FOR
when a blood when a blood
vessel becomes vessel breaks Sudden difficulty speaking or loss of sight in one BLOOD FLOW to the brain IS RESTORED before the HEART ATTACKS AND STROKES
blocked and and blood fills or both eyes. brain tissue dies.
that part of the and damages The best treatment is prevention
brain dies. that part of the
Responsible for brain.
WHAT NEEDS TO BE
DO THE F.A.S.T. TEST
80% of strokes. High Blood Atrial
DONE BEFORE TREATMENT Smoking

WHO HAS Strokes? Face Stroke team Diabetes

Pressure

High Bad
Inactivity
Fibrillation

Strokes affect people of

all ages, races and fitness
60%
Deaths are
Notify stroke
team
meets you at
the door
Blood Tests Cholesterol

female
Smile, or show your teeth. Does one side
levels, from unborn babies
to the elderly. of the face droop?
Excessive
Obesity Poor Diet
Alcohol
Strokes are the leading 40%
cause of long-term disability
in South Africa.
Deaths are
male
Every 15 minutes
someone DIES from a stroke. Arm
Close your eyes, and hold your arms out for 10 seconds.
Decide on best
treatment
Brain scan to
check type of
stroke
Medical
examination

• Spend at least 30 minutes a day doing

IN SOUTH AFRICA Does one arm drift down? moderate exercise and avoid doing strenuous
endurance sports continually for more than
Biggest natural EVERYDAY
4TH three hours per week.
killer in SA
DIE Speech
80
Drip to And/or Avoid And/or

%
Life support
dissolve clot complications • Eat five servings of fruit and vegetables each

90
Repeat any sentence. day.
132 000 = 360 Is speech slurred, wrong words used or unable to
STROKES A A DAY
YEAR IN SA speak? • Limit salt and sugar in your diet.
are left with a life-changing If clot too big, There are only a few specialist hospitals able to
disability, such as the loss of the use
of a limb, chronic pain, inability to
speak, difficulty reading,memory or
Time mechanically
remove clot
perform all these steps quickly enough to save
your brain.
This all needs to be done as soon and quickly as
AND STROKES CAN
BE AVOIDED
• Limit your intake of bad fats and increase the
OF ALL HEART ATTACKS intake of good fats.

• Get your blood pressure, blood fats, blood

emotional disturbances or spasticity, Note the time and get to the nearest stroke unit as soon
which often results in the person as possible. possible as Time is Brain, which is why you need to get sugar and heart rhythm checked at least once
being unable to return to work. Every minute counts. to the right hospital. a year.