A stroke can happen suddenly, and getting emergency treatment quickly can reduce brain damage and disability. The American Stroke Association recommends remembering B.E. F.A.S.T. rather than relying on a list of obscure symptoms.
🚨 10 warning signs of a stroke
- Sudden weakness or numbness — especially in the face, arm, or leg and particularly on one side.
- Face drooping — one side of the face may suddenly feel numb or droop when smiling.
- Arm weakness — one arm may suddenly become weak or drift downward when both arms are raised.
- Speech difficulty — slurred speech, difficulty speaking, or difficulty understanding others.
- Sudden confusion — unexplained difficulty thinking or understanding what people are saying.
- Sudden vision changes — blurred, double, or lost vision in one or both eyes.
- Sudden loss of balance or coordination — trouble walking, dizziness, or unexplained clumsiness.
- Sudden severe headache — particularly a severe headache with no known cause.
- Sudden difficulty walking — especially when it occurs together with dizziness, weakness, or coordination problems.
- Sudden symptoms that disappear — this can be a TIA (“warning stroke”). Even if the person feels completely normal again, it still requires urgent medical evaluation.
Remember: B.E. F.A.S.T.
B — Balance loss
E — Eye/vision changes
F — Face drooping
A — Arm weakness
S — Speech difficulty
T — Time to get emergency help
If even one of these symptoms appears suddenly, don’t wait to see whether it improves. Note the time the symptoms started and call your local emergency medical service immediately. Don’t drive the person yourself if emergency medical transport is available.
Important: A TIA can have the same symptoms as a stroke but may resolve within minutes or hours. It is not safe to ignore symptoms simply because they went away.
