According to the American Stroke Association, approximately 795,000 Americans suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.  Stroke kills more than 137,000 people a year, and is the third leading cause of death behind heart disease and cancer.

Recognizing Stroke Warning Signs and Symptoms

An easy way to remember how to identify a stroke is: F.A.S.T.  This stands for Face, Arm, Speech and Time.  If one side of a person’s face, an arm or leg is weak, or their speech is slurred, call 911 in time.  It’s very important to take immediate action when someone has a stroke to avoid long-term damage or death.  Call 911 from a landline phone, so the dispatcher can quickly pinpoint where you are calling from.

Here are some specific ways to tell if someone may be having a stroke.

• Is the person able to smile?  Ask for a smile.  If one side of the person’s mouth does not move, he or she may be having a stroke.

• Is the person able to say a complete sentence? – Ask for a complete sentence.  If the person is unable to complete a coherent sentence, or says something incomprehensible, the stroke may be affecting his/her speech/comprehension center, resulting in a condition called aphasia.

• Can the person raise both arms? – If a person is unable to raise both arms, the stroke may be affecting the motor area of the brain, resulting in hemiplegia, a condition that causes paralysis of one side of the body.

Sudden onset of any of the following symptoms may indicate stroke:

• Loss of sight in one eye, dimmed/blurred vision
• Difficulty speaking, slurred or sluggish speech
• Weakness, loss of strength in face, hands, arms or legs
• Sudden, severe headache
• Unexplained dizziness

 

Other less common stroke symptoms include:

• Sudden nausea, fever and vomiting, unrelated to other illness
• Fainting or confusion
• Convulsions or coma