May is stroke awareness month. Below are signs and symptoms put together by stroke.org and The American Heart Association. Learn and share the F.A.S.T. warning signs, you might save a life!
F.A.S.T. is a quick way to identify stroke symptoms and act quickly. Recognize the warning signs and call 9-1-1 immediately. This can make the difference between a strong recovery and disability or even death.
Face Drooping
Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person’s smile uneven or lopsided?
Arm Weakness
Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
Speech
Is speech slurred? Is the person unable to speak or hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence.
Time to Call 9-1-1
If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get them to the hospital immediately.
Additional warning signs:
Sudden NUMBNESS or weakness of face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
Sudden CONFUSION, trouble speaking or understanding speech
Sudden TROUBLE SEEING in one or both eyes
Sudden TROUBLE WALKING, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
Sudden SEVERE HEADACHE with no known cause
Warning Signs in Posterior Circulation Strokes
Posterior circulations strokes (a stroke that occurs in the back part of the brain) occurs when a blood vessel in the back part of the brain is blocked causing the death of brain cells (called an infarction) in the area of the blocked blood vessel. This type of stroke can also be caused by a ruptured blood vessel in the back part of the brain. When this type of stroke happens several symptoms occur and they can be very different than the symptoms that occur in the blood circulation to the front part of the brain (called anterior circulation strokes).
Symptoms include:
- Vertigo, like the room, is spinning.
- Imbalance
- One-sided arm or leg weakness.
- Slurred speech or dysarthria
- Double vision or other vision problems
- A headache
- Nausea and or vomiting
