Health Check Ep 11: How to use the Fast method to recognise a stroke and react quickly

9:11 mins

Synopsis: In this fortnightly podcast series on Tuesdays, The Straits Times guides you to healthier living, debunks the myths, and examines the impact of national policies with expert guests.

Our guest for this episode is Dr Shekhawat Ravindra Singh, an associate consultant at the Department of Neurology at the National Neuroscience Institute. He tells us how to recognise a stroke, also known as a brain attack, as well as how to prevent one.

He answers the following questions:

1. Why do people still turn up late for treatment of suspected strokes? (0:57)

2. What are the symptoms? What are the dos and don'ts? (1:10)

3. What treatment can you expect at the emergency department after? (3:10)

4. Can strokes be prevented? Smoking is a major factor for young victims aged 25 onwards (4:50)

5. Rare causes of strokes (5:40)

For family members or even strangers who run into potential stroke victims, learn the Fast test.

F stands for Face: Smile and see if one side of the face droops.

A stands for Arms: Raise both arms. Does one arm
drop down?

S stands for Speech: Say a short phrase and check for slurred or strange speech.

T stands for Time: If the answer to any of these is yes, call 995 in Singapore right away and seek emergency help.

Produced by: Joyce Teo and Ernest Luis

Edited by: Adam Azlee

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