As strokes are an unexpected and relatively sudden event, it is very important to know the full range of warning signs. When in any doubt, call an ambulance and quickly go to the hospital for treatment. Early treatment can dramatically change the outcome of a stroke.
Warning signs that can indicate a stroke:
- Sudden weakness or paralysis of the arm, leg or face on one side of the body.
- Tingling and sudden lack of sensation in the limbs (such as hand or foot falling asleep).
- Sudden difficulty speaking or understanding speech (confusion).
- Distorted facial muscles.
- Sudden loss of balance, instability.
- Sudden loss of vision, double vision, blurring or fogginess.
- Sudden and unexplained severe headache.
If one or more of these symptoms appears, even if it passes quickly, immediately call an ambulance and tell them you suspect a stroke.
In general, the window of opportunity for effectively treating stroke lasts only 4.5 hours from the first appearance of symptoms. Therefore, it is crucial to immediately go to the hospital in an ambulance.
Calling an ambulance is important and better than going to the hospital independently, because the ambulance crew can report a suspected stroke on the way to the hospital, saving time and ensuring the emergency room is prepared for the patient. Moreover, certain tests can be performed in the ambulance.
After an ischemic stroke, patients who reach the hospital in time can be given tPA to dissolve blood clots in the vein; in rare cases (around 10%), emergency catheterization of the blocked blood vessel is performed. These treatments are lifesaving and can prevent disability. They increase the patient’s chance of recovering from the stroke with minimal or no disability by 30-50%.
When stroke symptoms appear, you can quickly do a general test to help with (informal) diagnosis. If the answer to one of the questions in the test is no, immediately call an ambulance and tell them you suspect a stroke. Always remember: F.A.S.T.
- Face
Ask the person to smile. Can they control their smile, or is their mouth crooked?
- Arms
Ask the person to raise both arms.
Can they raise both arms at the same time?
- Speech
Ask the person exhibiting stroke symptoms to say “The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.”
Can they control the pace of their speech? Do they enunciate the words clearly?
- TIME
If the answer to any of the first three questions was “no”, call an ambulance immediately. Time is of the essence!
*This test is not a substitute for a comprehensive professional medical diagnosis, and the results cannot definitively point to the presence or absence of a stroke.
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