Knowing the warning signs of a stroke can help someone get treatment quickly. A stroke is a medical emergency — call emergency services immediately if stroke is suspected.
A simple way to remember common warning signs is BE FAST:
- B — Balance: Sudden loss of balance, dizziness, or trouble walking.
- E — Eyes: Sudden vision changes, such as blurred vision or loss of vision in one or both eyes.
- F — Face: One side of the face droops or feels numb. Ask the person to smile and check for unevenness.
- A — Arms: Sudden weakness or numbness in one arm (or leg), especially on one side of the body. Ask the person to raise both arms.
- S — Speech: Slurred speech, trouble speaking, confusion, or difficulty understanding words.
- T — Time: Time matters — seek emergency help immediately.
Other possible warning signs include:
- Sudden severe headache with no known cause
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg
- Sudden confusion or difficulty understanding speech
- Sudden trouble seeing
- Sudden dizziness or loss of coordination
- Sudden trouble walking
- Sudden difficulty speaking or finding words
- Sudden difficulty swallowing
- Sudden fainting or reduced alertness
- Symptoms that appear briefly and then disappear (a possible transient ischemic attack, or “mini-stroke”
