Knowing the warning signs of a stroke can help someone get treatment quickly. Stroke symptoms usually begin suddenly, and every minute matters because early treatment can reduce brain damage.
10 important warning signs
- Face drooping
- One side of the face droops or feels numb. Ask the person to smile.
- Arm weakness or numbness
- One arm or leg becomes weak or numb, especially on one side of the body.
- Speech difficulty
- Slurred speech, trouble speaking, or difficulty understanding others.
- Sudden vision problems
- Blurred, double, or lost vision in one or both eyes.
- Trouble walking
- Sudden dizziness, loss of balance, or lack of coordination.
- Severe headache
- A sudden, very intense headache with no known cause, especially if accompanied by other neurological symptoms.
- Confusion
- Sudden difficulty thinking clearly, understanding, or following simple instructions.
- Difficulty swallowing
- New trouble swallowing can occur with some strokes.
- Sudden numbness
- Numbness affecting the face, arm, or leg, particularly on one side.
- Sudden weakness or paralysis
- Loss of strength or inability to move part of the body.
Remember FAST
A simple way to recognize the most common stroke signs is FAST:
- F – Face: Is one side drooping?
- A – Arms: Does one arm drift downward when both are raised?
- S – Speech: Is speech slurred or difficult?
- T – Time: Call your local emergency services immediately if any of these signs appear.
Even if symptoms go away after a few minutes, they could be a transient ischemic attack (TIA), which is a warning sign that a stroke may follow. A TIA also requires urgent medical evaluation.
Prompt treatment can significantly improve recovery, so it’s important not to wait for symptoms to resolve on their own.
