10 Early Warning Signs of a Stroke Everyone Should Know
A stroke occurs when blood flow to part of the brain is interrupted or when a blood vessel in the brain bleeds. Symptoms often appear suddenly, and getting medical attention quickly can be critical.
1. Sudden Numbness or Weakness
Unexpected weakness or numbness, particularly in the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body, is a major warning sign.
2. Facial Drooping
One side of the face may suddenly feel weak or numb. Ask the person to smile and look for an uneven smile or drooping.
3. Speech Problems
Speech may suddenly become slurred, confused, or difficult to produce. Someone may also have trouble finding the right words.
4. Trouble Understanding Others
A person may suddenly have difficulty understanding what someone is saying or following a simple conversation.
5. Sudden Vision Changes
Blurred, double, or reduced vision in one or both eyes can occur during a stroke and should be evaluated urgently when it begins suddenly.
6. Sudden Difficulty Walking
A person may suddenly become unsteady or have trouble walking normally.
7. Loss of Balance or Coordination
Unexpected difficulty coordinating movements, standing, or maintaining balance can be a warning sign.
8. Sudden Severe Headache
A sudden, unusually severe headache without an obvious cause can sometimes occur with a stroke, particularly certain types of bleeding in the brain.
9. Sudden Confusion
Someone may suddenly become confused, disoriented, or unable to communicate normally.
10. Sudden Difficulty Swallowing
Some strokes can affect the muscles involved in swallowing. New swallowing difficulty accompanied by other neurological symptoms requires urgent medical attention.
Remember FAST
The easiest way to remember several major stroke symptoms is FAST:
F — Face: Does one side of the face droop?
A — Arms: Is one arm weak or numb?
S — Speech: Is speech slurred or difficult to understand?
T — Time: If these symptoms appear suddenly, seek emergency medical help immediately.
What If the Symptoms Go Away?
Don’t assume everything is fine if symptoms disappear after a few minutes. A temporary episode may be a transient ischemic attack (TIA), sometimes called a mini-stroke, and it can be an important warning that a major stroke could follow.
It still requires urgent medical evaluation.
What to Do
If you suspect a stroke, contact your local emergency medical service immediately. Note the time the symptoms first appeared or the last time the person was known to be normal. Don’t wait to see whether the symptoms improve.
Bottom Line
Sudden facial drooping, one-sided weakness or numbness, speech difficulty, vision changes, confusion, loss of balance, or an unexplained severe headache should never be ignored.
Recognizing the signs and getting emergency medical care quickly can make an important difference.
