10 Early Warning Signs of a Stroke Everyone Should Know
A stroke can happen suddenly, and getting emergency treatment quickly can reduce brain injury and disability. Don’t wait for symptoms to become severe.
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Sudden facial drooping — one side of the face may feel numb or look uneven when smiling.
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Sudden weakness or numbness — especially in the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body.
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Sudden trouble speaking — slurred speech, difficulty finding words, or inability to understand speech.
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Sudden confusion — a person may seem unusually disoriented or unable to understand simple instructions.
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Sudden vision changes — blurred, double, or lost vision in one or both eyes.
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Sudden difficulty walking — new loss of coordination, balance, or ability to walk normally.
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Sudden dizziness or vertigo — particularly when accompanied by balance or coordination problems.
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Sudden severe headache — especially an unusually intense headache with no obvious cause.
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Sudden difficulty swallowing — particularly when it occurs alongside other neurological symptoms.
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Sudden loss of consciousness or marked alertness changes — this can occur with serious neurological emergencies and requires urgent evaluation.
Remember FAST
F — Face: Ask the person to smile. Is one side drooping?
A — Arms: Ask them to raise both arms. Does one drift downward?
S — Speech: Ask them to repeat a simple sentence. Is their speech strange or slurred?
T — Time: Call emergency medical services immediately.
Even if the symptoms disappear after a few minutes, don’t ignore them. A transient ischemic attack (TIA) can produce temporary stroke-like symptoms and may be a warning of a future stroke.
Do not drive the person yourself if emergency medical services are available. Note the time the symptoms began—or the last time the person was known to be normal—and tell the emergency team.
