Stroke symptoms (FAST)

Overview

Stroke is a medical emergency. Every minute counts — time-to-treatment determines recovery. Use FAST: Face, Arm, Speech, Time.

Symptoms to watch for

• Face drooping — smile is uneven
• Arm weakness or numbness
• Speech difficulty — slurred or hard to understand
• Sudden vision loss
• Sudden severe headache
• Sudden dizziness or loss of balance

Treatment

Emergency: tPA or thrombectomy within a narrow window. Prevention: BP control, statin, antiplatelet, anticoagulation for afib.