NONTHABURI – The Department of Medical Services (DMS) has encouraged the general public to watch out for symptoms of strokes which may lead to a paralysis.
DMS Director General Theerapol Topanthanont said strokes or conditions due to lack of blood in the brain may lead to a paralysis which could be caused as a birth defect or from the thickening of blood vessels among patients of some chronic diseases including obesity, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, or from the blockage in blood vessels by blood clots among patients with irregular heartbeats.
He said it is crucial for persons with such symptom to receive a treatment as quickly as possible as the possibility of disabilities or death would increase if the patient failed to receive the treatment in time, while the indicating symptoms can be observed from F.A.S.T., namely Face, Arm, Speech, and Time.
The F.A.S.T. code calls for observation to see whether one of the lip corners drops with idle face expression or when smiling, if a person fail to life their arm or have weak arm power, and if they cannot speak clearly. If the symptoms persist, the affected person should receive medical attention within four and a half hours.
Concerning persons can call Hotline 1669 around the clock toll-free to request for assistance. The general public are encouraged to eat balanced diets, avoid eating sweet, oily, and salty food while eating more fruit and vegetable, controlling their weight, exercise regularly, refrain from smoking and drinking alcohol, and have a medical check-up on yearly basis.
