Claims that you can reliably notice “10 stroke warning signs one month before it happens” are misleading. Most strokes occur suddenly, often with little or no warning. However, some people experience a transient ischemic attack (TIA)—sometimes called a “mini-stroke”—in the days or weeks before a stroke. A TIA is a medical emergency because it can be a warning that a stroke is at higher risk of occurring soon.
Possible warning signs that need immediate medical attention
These symptoms can occur during a stroke or TIA and may last only a few minutes before resolving:
- Sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side
- Sudden trouble speaking or understanding speech
- Sudden vision loss or blurred vision in one or both eyes
- Sudden dizziness, loss of balance, or difficulty walking
- A sudden, severe headache with no obvious cause
- Sudden confusion
- Difficulty swallowing
- Sudden clumsiness or poor coordination
- Brief episodes of facial drooping
- Temporary loss of sensation or strength that goes away
Remember FAST
A quick way to recognize a stroke is the FAST acronym:
- F – Face: Does one side droop when the person smiles?
- A – Arms: Does one arm drift downward when both arms are raised?
- S – Speech: Is speech slurred or difficult to understand?
- T – Time: Call emergency services immediately if any of these signs are present.
Stroke prevention
Many strokes can be prevented by managing risk factors such as:
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- High cholesterol
- Smoking
- Atrial fibrillation
- Physical inactivity
- Excessive alcohol use
