10 Early Warning Signs of a Stroke Everyone Should Know
One important correction to the headline: stroke symptoms usually aren’t a long series of “early warnings.” They typically appear suddenly, and every minute matters.
Watch for these sudden symptoms:
- Face drooping — especially on one side.
- Weakness in an arm or leg, particularly on one side.
- Numbness or loss of sensation on one side of the body.
- Slurred or unusual speech.
- Difficulty understanding speech.
- Sudden confusion.
- Sudden vision problems in one or both eyes.
- Sudden dizziness or loss of balance.
- Sudden difficulty walking or coordinating movements.
- A sudden, severe headache with no known cause.
🧠 Remember B.E. F.A.S.T.
- B — Balance: sudden dizziness or loss of coordination
- E — Eyes: sudden vision changes
- F — Face: ask the person to smile—does one side droop?
- A — Arms: ask them to raise both arms—does one drift downward?
- S — Speech: is speech slurred or strange?
- T — Time: call emergency services immediately.
🚑 Don’t wait for it to get worse
If you or someone else suddenly develops any of these symptoms, call your local emergency service immediately. Don’t drive yourself to the hospital; an ambulance allows emergency personnel to begin care on the way. Note the time the symptoms started, because this can help determine treatment.
Even if symptoms disappear after a few minutes, don’t ignore them. A transient ischemic attack (TIA) can be a warning of a future stroke and also requires urgent medical evaluation.
