Symptoms of a Stroke

The importance of acting quickly

If a stroke is recognized, diagnosed and medically cared for within 3 hours, it is possible for a clot-busting drug to reduce or completely reverse the effects of the most common type of stroke. Without quick action, a stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage, disability or death.

Warning signs of a stroke

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

Steps to help identify when someone is having a stroke

There are 3 steps to take to recognize when someone is having a stroke - STR. Ask the person to perform these 3 simple actions:

S - SMILE
T - TALK (speak a simple sentence, i.e. "It is sunny out today.")
R - RAISE BOTH ARMS

If he or she has trouble with even one of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher. Take note of the time the symptom(s) began.

A 4th step you can take is to ask the person to:

S - STICK OUT YOUR TONGUE

If the tongue is crooked, if it goes to one side or the other, it is also an indication of a stroke.