Stroke Symptoms and Warning Signs

Recognizing the signs and symptoms of a stroke is important because stroke treatments must be applied quickly to be effective.

If you or a loved one is experiencing signs of a stroke, it is a medical emergency. Call 911 and go to the nearest stroke center in an ambulance.

Can you spot a stroke? Think “BE FAST.”

Though BE FAST can help identify the main symptoms of stroke, there can be other signs.

A stroke can be completely painless. Because stroke doesn’t typically hurt, many people delay seeking treatment. The most important thing to remember is “time is brain.”

Depending on the side of the brain that’s affected, the part of the brain affected, and how severely the brain is injured, other stroke symptoms can include:

• Sudden numbness or weakness in the leg
  
• Sudden confusion or trouble understanding
  
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
  
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
  
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause