10 Early Warning Signs of a Stroke
A stroke usually happens suddenly, so recognizing the symptoms quickly is more important than trying to identify a particular “early warning” period.
Watch for:
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Sudden weakness or numbness, especially on one side of the face, arm, or leg.
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One side of the face drooping or an uneven smile.
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Sudden difficulty speaking or slurred speech.
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Sudden difficulty understanding what other people are saying.
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Sudden vision problems in one or both eyes.
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Sudden loss of balance or coordination or difficulty walking.
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Sudden severe dizziness, particularly with other neurological symptoms.
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Sudden severe headache with no obvious cause.
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Sudden confusion or difficulty performing a familiar task.
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Sudden trouble swallowing or significant new weakness.
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B — Balance: sudden loss of balance
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E — Eyes: sudden vision changes
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F — Face: facial drooping
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A — Arm: arm weakness or numbness
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S — Speech: speech difficulty
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T — Time: call emergency medical services immediately
Don’t wait to see whether symptoms improve. Even if they disappear after a few minutes, they could represent a transient ischemic attack (TIA) and still require urgent medical assessment.
If these symptoms are happening right now, seek emergency medical care immediately and note the time the symptoms started (or the last time the person was known to be well).
