Recognizing Stroke Warning Signs

Have you ever heard of the phrase “time is brain”? During a stroke, every single minute counts! In fact, approximately two million neurons are lost for each minute that passes during a stroke (Saver, 2005). By knowing the signs and symptoms of a stroke, you can take quick action and not just save your own life, but those of others.

The common signs of a stroke are sudden numbness or weakness in the face and extremities, trouble seeing, trouble speaking, and confusion (CDC, 2022). Motor symptoms that can also occur are loss of balance, trouble walking, and loss of fine motor movements.

To help identify a stroke, you can utilize the F.A.S.T approach. The F.A.S.T test stands for: F for Face, A for Arm, S for speech, and T for time (CDC, 2022). First, you can ask the person to smile to assess for loss of facial expression or dropping to one side. For arm assessment, ask them to raise their arms above their head. Next, ask the person to repeat a simple phrase back to you. Lastly, and most importantly, is time. Time is of the essence when it comes to a stroke and it is vital to call 911 right away if you or another individual could be having a stroke. It is important to note the time of symptom onset as a stroke needs to be recognized and diagnosed within 3-4.5 hours or permanent damage can occur.

Being able to recognize the signs and symptoms of a stroke and taking rapid action can help save many lives.

References:

Saver, J. L., Jeffrey L. Saver From the Stroke Center and Department of Neurology, & Saver, C. to J. L. (2005, December 8). Time is brain-quantified. Stroke. Retrieved November 10, 2022, from https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/01.str.0000196957.55928.ab

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, May 4). Stroke signs and symptoms. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved November 10, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/stroke/signs_symptoms.htm#:~:text=What%20are%20the%20signs%20of,in%20one%20or%20both%20eyes.