10 Warning Signs of a Stroke Everyone Should Know
A stroke is a medical emergency. The important thing to remember is that symptoms usually appear suddenly—you should not wait for several symptoms to develop before seeking help.
Know these 10 signs
- Sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg—especially on one side.
- Facial drooping, particularly on one side.
- Slurred or difficult speech.
- Difficulty understanding what someone is saying.
- 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.
- Sudden loss of coordination or control of an arm or leg.
🧠 Remember B.E. F.A.S.T.
- B — Balance: sudden loss of balance or coordination
- E — Eyes: sudden vision changes
- F — Face: one side of the face droops
- A — Arms: one arm becomes weak or numb
- S — Speech: speech becomes slurred or difficult
- T — Time: call emergency services immediately
🚑 Don’t wait
If you notice even one sudden stroke symptom, call your local emergency service immediately. Don’t wait to see whether it improves. Rapid recognition and treatment can reduce brain damage and disability.
If the symptoms disappear after a few minutes, still seek urgent medical evaluation—a temporary episode can be a TIA (“mini-stroke”) and may warn of a future stroke.
