Please take a minute to read this article: At an old class reunion, a lady tripped and fell while getting a barbecue, and her friend next to her suggested getting medical attention, but she was pretty sure she was fine, just tripped over a brick in her new shoes. While she was still a little shaky on her feet, her classmates cleaned her up, served her another small plate of food, and she followed everyone else to enjoy the rest of the day. After the party, her husband later called to inform everyone that she was taken to the hospital and passed away at 6:00 p.m. The reason was that she had suffered a stroke while at the barbecue dinner. If they had known how to recognize the signs of a stroke, she might still be with us now. In fact, strokes can be preceded and prevented. One brain neurosurgeon said that if he could reach a stroke victim within three hours, he could completely reverse the consequences of a stroke. The trick is to recognize and diagnose the stroke problem and get the patient medical attention within three hours, which is not difficult. To recognize a stroke let’s remember the S, T and R steps, read and learn! Sometimes the signs of a stroke are hard to recognize, and unfortunately, lack of vigilance can be a recipe for disaster. When people around you don’t recognize the signs of a stroke, stroke victims can suffer serious brain injuries. Doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions: S: (smile) ask the patient to smile, T: (talk) ask the patient to say a simple sentence (be organized and coherent), such as: It’s a beautiful day, R: (raise) ask the patient to raise his or her hands. Note: Another sign of stroke is to ask the patient to stick out his or her tongue, if the tongue is “bent” or tilted to one side, this is also a sign of stroke. If the patient is unable to do any of the above four actions, call 120 immediately and describe the symptoms to the operator. Heart attacks occur during sleep, and 60% of people do not wake up again. However, severe chest pain is enough to wake a person from a deep sleep. If any of these conditions occur, immediately take two aspirin by mouth and let it melt away, then drink a little water and swallow. Then contact emergency services immediately and sit on a chair or couch and wait for the ambulance.