10 Early Warning Signs of a Stroke
A stroke often happens suddenly, so don’t wait for a collection of symptoms to appear. Even one sudden warning sign can be an emergency.
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Sudden numbness or weakness — especially in the face, arm, or leg, particularly on one side.
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Sudden facial drooping — one side of the face may feel numb or appear uneven when smiling.
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Sudden trouble speaking — slurred speech or difficulty getting words out.
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Sudden difficulty understanding speech — confusion about what someone is saying.
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Sudden vision problems — blurred, double, or lost vision in one or both eyes.
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Sudden difficulty walking — stumbling or an unexplained loss of coordination.
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Sudden dizziness or loss of balance — particularly when it comes on unexpectedly.
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Sudden severe headache — especially a severe headache without a known cause.
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Sudden confusion — difficulty understanding where you are or what’s happening.
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Sudden difficulty performing familiar tasks — for example, unexpectedly struggling with a normally simple activity.
Remember BE FAST
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B — Balance: sudden loss of balance or coordination
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E — Eyes: sudden vision changes
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F — Face: one-sided facial drooping
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A — Arm: weakness or numbness
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S — Speech: slurred or difficult speech
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T — Time: call emergency medical services immediately
Symptoms that disappear after a few minutes can still represent a transient ischemic attack (TIA) and require urgent medical assessment. Don’t drive yourself to the hospital or wait to see whether symptoms return.
If these symptoms are happening right now, treat it as an emergency and seek immediate medical care.
