10 Early Warning Signs of a Stroke Everyone Should Know
A stroke can happen suddenly, and every minute matters. Knowing the warning signs can help you get emergency treatment quickly and potentially reduce permanent brain injury. (www.stroke.org)
🚨 10 warning signs to know
- Sudden numbness or weakness — especially in the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body.
- One-sided facial drooping — one side of the mouth or face may suddenly sag.
- Sudden arm weakness — one arm may feel weak or numb or drift downward when both arms are raised.
- Sudden speech problems — slurred speech, difficulty speaking, or saying words that don’t make sense.
- Difficulty understanding speech — suddenly being unable to understand what another person is saying.
- Sudden vision changes — blurred, double, or lost vision in one or both eyes. (www.stroke.org)
- Sudden trouble walking — difficulty walking, dizziness, or a sudden loss of coordination or balance.
- Sudden severe headache — particularly a severe headache with no known cause.
- Sudden confusion — an unexplained change in alertness, thinking, or orientation.
- Symptoms that disappear — stroke-like symptoms that improve or completely disappear can indicate a TIA (“warning stroke”) and still require immediate medical assessment. (www.stroke.org)
Remember: B.E. F.A.S.T.
- B — Balance: sudden loss of balance or coordination
- E — Eyes: sudden vision changes
- F — Face: facial drooping
- A — Arms: weakness or numbness
- S — Speech: difficulty speaking or understanding
- T — Time: call your local emergency service immediately (www.stroke.org)
Don’t wait to see if the symptoms improve. If you suspect a stroke, note the time the symptoms started and seek emergency medical help immediately—even if the symptoms disappear. (www.stroke.org)
