Recognizing stroke symptoms quickly can save lives. A stroke happens when blood flow to part of the brain is interrupted or when a blood vessel in the brain bleeds. Fast medical attention is critical, because treatments work best when started as soon as possible.
10 early warning signs of a stroke
- Sudden weakness or numbness
- Especially on one side of the face, arm, or leg.
- Face drooping
- One side of the face may feel weak or appear uneven when smiling.
- Speech problems
- Slurred speech, difficulty speaking, or trouble understanding words.
- Sudden confusion
- A person may seem disoriented or unable to follow a conversation.
- Sudden vision changes
- Blurred vision, loss of vision, or trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
- Sudden severe headache
- Especially a headache that is unusual, very intense, or comes on suddenly.
- Dizziness or loss of balance
- Trouble walking, coordination problems, or feeling unsteady.
- Difficulty moving
- Sudden problems controlling an arm, leg, or one side of the body.
- Trouble swallowing
- Sudden difficulty swallowing can occur with some strokes.
- A sudden change in alertness
- Fainting, extreme drowsiness, or loss of consciousness can be warning signs.
Remember FAST
- F — Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side droop?
- A — Arms: Ask them to raise both arms. Does one drift downward?
- S — Speech: Ask them to repeat a simple sentence. Is speech unclear?
- T — Time: If any of these signs appear, call emergency services immediately.
Do not wait to see if symptoms go away. Even symptoms that improve after a few minutes may be a warning sign of a transient ischemic attack (TIA), sometimes called a “mini-stroke,” which still requires urgent medical evaluation.
