Signs of Stroke
What a stroke is, how to check for it with F.A.S.T., and what to do if the signs come and go.
Think it might be a stroke? Call 911 in the United States · 911 or 90 in Belize now.
Strokes can be treated, and the faster treatment starts, the better the recovery.
Use F.A.S.T. to check for a stroke
- Face
Look at the person's face. Ask them to smile. Is their face drooping? This usually happens on only one side of the face.
- Arms
Look at the person's arms. Ask them to raise both arms. Does one arm fall down lower than the other?
- Speech
Listen to the person's speech. Is their speech slurred?
- Time
If someone has these symptoms it is time to call a hospital. This is an emergency. Call medical services right away.
What is a stroke?
A stroke happens when blood flow to the brain is blocked. An artery that blood flows through may break open and cause bleeding in the brain, or clumps of blood may block the blood flow.
When this happens, the cells in the brain don’t get the air that they need, so they die very fast. These cells control different parts of the body. Those parts of the body stop working right. This can look different in every person.
Other stroke signs
- Weak and numb in a short time period
- Confused in a short time period
- Bad vision in a short time period
- A very bad headache without any cause
What if these symptoms only last a few minutes?
This could be a “mini-stroke.” This is also known as a Transient Ischemic Attack, or a TIA. A mini-stroke is still very serious. This is still an emergency. You should still call medical services as soon as possible. Do not wait.
