Recently my grandma suffered a stroke. It was providential that my mother was in the room with her when it happened and was able to raise the alarm instantly. Also it was helpful that despite it being a work day my father was home. So he was able to activate the emergency services and get the ambulance home instantly. It helped that they live barely 4 km from the hospital in a small town. So the total reaction time was very little as there is never much traffic on the roads. She was in the ICU within 20 minutes of the onset of the stroke. A feat that was remarkable and was also responsible for saving her life. Although her brain was deprived of blood and oxygen for the duration, she got away with merely 30% damage to the brain. She is currently undergoing physiotherapy for the weakened muscles in her left side. All her vital signs are now stable.
 
She was very lucky. Many others are not.
 
It is vital to identify the stroke in time. Even if you manage to get the patient to the hospital with the 3 hour window crucial to the stroke, it can save her life. You don’t have to be a qualified doctor to know if a stroke is occurring.
 
The basic three steps to identify if a person is having a stroke is summed up in the acronym - STR.
 
S is for smile. If you suspect that the person is having a stroke asking him to smile is the first thing to do. No its not absurd. The logic is that the facial muscles do not respond to the message that the brain gives it. So if they are truly having a stroke, they will be unable to smile.
 
T is for talk. Ask them to answer a question. Talking is slurred and incomprehensible when a person is suffering a stroke. Again this is a result of the facial muscles not being able to respond to instructions from the brain.
 
R is for raise your hands. This is the final identification mark. A person who is unable to smile and is talking with a slur, and is unable to raise both hands above the head is definitely having a stroke. Now activate the emergency services.