A stroke usually does not hurt. It tends to begin with one side of the body going weak, the mouth pulling down at one corner, or speech suddenly coming out jumbled — while the person is still awake and can still get to their feet unaided. Because it looks «not bad enough for hospital», the family sits down to talk it over and then puts them to bed to see whether it eases. The brain is losing cells the whole time. Every minute counts.
In this order, and do not change it. ① CALL 115 (the emergency number in Vietnam) NOW and say the words «suspected stroke», so the dispatcher sends an ambulance and directs you to a place that can treat it. ② LOOK AT THE CLOCK: write down the LAST TIME the person was definitely normal, not the time you noticed. ③ Lay them on one side, head and shoulders slightly raised, and loosen the collar. ④ Do NOT give anything to eat, drink or swallow, not even a sip of water. ⑤ Stay beside them until the ambulance gets there; if they stop breathing or are only gasping, tell the dispatcher at once and follow the chest-compression instructions over the phone.
Recognising it: the four signs to remember
Four words to remember: face · arm · speech · call for help — the FAST check, as it is taught in English. If you suspect a stroke, test the first three right there and then:
- FACE — ask them to smile or show their teeth. One side of the face sags, the philtrum pulls off centre, one eye does not close fully.
- ARM — ask them to raise both arms straight up at the same time and hold them there. One arm drifts down, or does not come up as far as the other. Weakness in one leg counts too.
- SPEECH — ask them to repeat a simple sentence. Slurring, stumbling, groping for a word, or not understanding the sentence you just said.
- CALL FOR HELP — just ONE of the three signs means calling 115; you do not need all three.
Sudden blurred vision, dizziness with loss of balance, the worst headache they have ever had, numbness down one whole side, confusion — these are stroke signs too. What they have in common is that they come on SUDDENLY.
This gets misread in two directions. One is to pin it on a familiar cause — a chill, low blood pressure, «poor blood flow to the brain» — and then do coin-rubbing and put them to bed. The other is to believe the person themselves: a stroke can leave them unable to register that one side of their body is weak, so «I'm fine» is not evidence — the one who judges has to be somebody else.
The last time the person was definitely normal
This is the doctor's first question, and families almost always answer it wrongly, because they answer with the time they NOTICED. If the weak arm was only found on waking, the clock starts at bedtime, not at waking. Rebuild the moment from things that really happened: the last ordinary conversation, the most recent meal, the time of the last message or call they sent. Write it on paper along with the name of whoever saw it; if it is not clear, say so rather than guessing to make the story tidy.
What to do while waiting for the ambulance
- Open the door, turn the lights on, clear a path wide enough for a stretcher; send somebody out to the end of the lane to flag the ambulance down.
- Collect the medicines they are taking (bring the boxes as well), identity papers and old medical records.
- If they vomit: keep them on their side so they do not choke, wipe the mouth, do not try to sit them up.
- If they have a seizure: clear hard objects away from around the head, do not hold the limbs down, do not put anything in the mouth.
- Keep noting what changes: getting worse or holding steady, and whether there was any moment when they became drowsy.
What you must NOT do
Every one of these is done out of kindness:
- Do NOT prick the fingertips, the toes or the earlobes to draw blood. It does not move blood into the brain; it causes pain, bleeding and a risk of infection, and it takes away the one thing that matters most right now: time.
- Do NOT use coin-rubbing or scraping, cupping, rubbing in medicated oil, or acupressure.
- Do NOT give water, milk, medicine or anything that has to be swallowed. A stroke weakens the swallowing reflex and the liquid goes into the lungs — pneumonia added on the way in.
- Do NOT give aspirin on your own. There are two kinds of stroke, one from a blocked vessel and one from bleeding inside the brain; at home the two cannot be told apart, and for the bleeding kind this medicine makes things worse.
- Do NOT give blood-pressure medicine to «bring it down to a safe level». High blood pressure at this moment may be how the body is keeping blood flowing to the part of the brain that is still alive; lowering it at the wrong time or by the wrong amount both do harm, so leave that to the doctor.
- Do NOT put them to bed to see whether it eases, and do not wait until the whole family has gathered before deciding.
- Do NOT carry them on a motorbike yourself: somebody already weak down one side, sitting on a motorbike, is one more fall waiting to happen.
When you must go to hospital
CALL 115 NOW — do not wait for morning, do not wait to watch a little longer — if ANY of these comes on SUDDENLY: one side of the face drooping · weakness or numbness in one arm or leg · slurred speech, or not understanding what others say · blurred vision, double vision · severe dizziness, loss of balance · the worst headache they have ever had · confusion, drowsiness, hard to rouse · a seizure · fainting. ONE sign is enough. Signs that have already cleared up completely still mean going for emergency care straight away: that can be the warning before a major stroke.
Not needing an ambulance but still needing to be seen: anyone with high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes who has no signs yet should be seen soon; anyone just discharged after a stroke should keep their follow-up appointment, and get in touch at once if they grow weaker, develop a fever, or choke and cough while eating.
Per the US CDC, you should note the time the first sign appeared, and call an ambulance rather than driving there yourself, because the emergency crew can begin treatment on the way. This article passes that on in our own words and does not replace being examined in person; citing CDC here does not imply that CDC endorses Y Te Xanh or our services.
Plainly: a stroke has no treatment that can be given at home — no procedure done at home replaces getting the person somewhere that can image the brain and reopen the blood vessel. Nurses and doctors visiting at home have their role LATER, once the hospital has discharged them: movement and speech practice, preventing pressure sores from long bed rest, feeding safely while swallowing is still difficult, watching the blood pressure, prompting them to take the prescription correctly, and catching the signs of a second stroke early.
Need personalised advice for your loved one? Call our hotline 094 368 81 15 (24/7) — calling to ask a question or to book costs nothing. GreenCare has doctors who come to examine, nurses who carry out doctor's orders (injections, infusions, dressing changes), remote consultation by video call, and a review of the medicines you are taking; an in-depth remote consultation, or any one after the first, is a paid service. For children we take examination and acute care only — not long-term care at home, and not newborns or expectant mothers. We confirm we have staff in your area and provide transparent pricing before we begin.
Sources
- CDC — About Stroke
