130,000 new cases a year, one person affected every 4 minutes: Stroke (stroke) is more and more numerous. For the World Day Against Stroke, Europe 1 interviewed Pierre Amarenco, Head of Neurology Department at Bichat Hospital in Paris, to remind people of what to do in case of warning signs. Because the care must be as fast as possible to avoid the consequences.
Headache, paralysis, difficulty speaking, blindness ...
The symptoms of a stroke appear in over 9 out of 10 cases. This can be a huge headache, sudden paralysis of one side of the body, an arm or a side of the face. It can also be a sudden difficulty to speak, to find his words. There may be visual disturbances, or sudden problems while standing, which can lead to staggering like a drunk person. Then you have to act very quickly: "You have to call 15, it's important because when you have stroke symptoms, you have three hours to act." Every minute lost is two million fewer neurons. ", recalls Pierre Amarenco.
And even if the signs last only a few minutes and disappear, it is the same urgency: it can be a TIA, or transient ischemic attack, and must be consulted within 24 hours which allows to divide by two the risk of stroke in the days or months that follow.