Question 1

What is a stroke, and what does FAST mean?

Accepted Answer

A stroke is a **sudden interruption of blood supply to part of the brain**, and FAST is the recognition tool designed to make the most common signs memorable — because treatment is extraordinarily time-dependent.

**The two types:**

**Ischaemic**, the large majority, where a clot blocks an artery supplying the brain.

**Haemorrhagic**, where a blood vessel bleeds into or around the brain. **The two require opposite treatments**, which is why a brain scan comes before any clot-busting drug.

**A transient ischaemic attack** — a "mini-stroke" — produces the same symptoms which then resolve. It is **not** reassuring: it is a warning sign of substantially raised stroke risk in the following days, and is treated as an emergency.

**FAST:**

**Face** — has it dropped on one side? Can the person smile?

**Arms** — can they raise both arms and keep them there?

**Speech** — is it slurred, or are they struggling to find words or understand you?

**Time** — if any of these are present, call emergency services immediately.

**What FAST misses**, which is worth knowing: sudden severe headache unlike any before; sudden loss or blurring of vision; sudden dizziness, loss of balance or coordination; sudden numbness or weakness on one side; and sudden confusion. **Posterior circulation strokes frequently present without facial droop or arm weakness**, so a negative FAST does not exclude a stroke.

**Why time matters so much.** Brain tissue deprived of blood dies rapidly — the frequently quoted figure is around **1.9 million neurons per minute**. Clot-busting treatment and mechanical clot removal both have time windows measured in hours, and the benefit falls steeply within them. **The single biggest determinant of outcome is how quickly the person reaches a stroke unit.**

**What not to do:** do not wait to see if it passes, do not give food, drink or medication, and do not drive yourself.

**Risk factors that can be modified:** high blood pressure, which is the largest by far; atrial fibrillation; smoking; diabetes; high cholesterol; and inactivity.

General information, not medical advice. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.

Question 2

Why do you feel dizzy when you stand up too quickly?

Accepted Answer

That brief head-rush is orthostatic hypotension — a momentary drop in blood pressure as gravity redistributes blood away from your head. When you stand, something like half a litre to a litre of

Question 3

What is the difference between a heart attack and a cardiac arrest?

Accepted Answer

They are different emergencies with different causes and different responses, and the terms are used interchangeably far more often than they should be. A heart attack is a circulation problem; a

Question 4

Why do some people faint at the sight of blood?

Accepted Answer

Because of a specific and unusual physiological response called the vasovagal reflex, and the pattern it follows is the opposite of what most people assume. The mechanism. Most frightening situations

Question 5

Why must you fast before an operation?

Accepted Answer

To reduce the risk of aspiration — stomach contents entering the lungs while you are unconscious — which is uncommon and can be very serious when it happens. The mechanism. Awake, you have protective

Question 6

What is delirium, and how is it different from dementia?

Accepted Answer

Delirium is an acute, fluctuating disturbance of attention and awareness, usually caused by an underlying physical problem — and distinguishing it from dementia matters enormously, because delirium

Question 7

What is sepsis, and why is it so dangerous?

Accepted Answer

Sepsis is the body's own response to an infection going wrong and damaging its own tissues and organs. It is not a specific infection — it is what can happen with almost any infection, anywhere in

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