The main stroke symptoms can be remembered with the word FAST: Face-Arms-Speech-Time.
Face – the face may have dropped on one side, the person may not be able to smile or their mouth or eye may have drooped
Arms – the person with suspected stroke may not be able to lift one or both arms and keep them there because of arm weakness or numbness
Speech – their speech may be slurred or garbled, or the person may not be able to talk at all despite appearing to be awake
Time – it is time to dial 999 immediately if you see any of these signs or symptoms
It is important for everyone to be aware of these signs and symptoms. If you live with or care for somebody in a high-risk group, such as someone who is elderly or has diabetes or high blood pressure, being aware of the symptoms is even more important.
Symptoms in the FAST test identify about nine out of 10 strokes.
Other signs and symptoms may include:
numbness or weakness resulting in complete paralysis of one side of the body
sudden loss of vision
dizziness
commun- ication problems, difficulty talking and under- standing what others are saying
problems with balance and coordination
difficulty swallowing
sudden and severe headache, unlike any the person has had before, especially if associated with neck stiffness
blacking out (in severe cases)
