Symptoms of Stroke

Know the warning signs/symptoms of stroke.

     Three quick questions to ask someone suspected of having a stroke:

1. Ask the person to smile.
   If one side of the person's mouth does not move (referred to as "facial droop"), they may be having a stroke.
2. Ask the person to say a complete sentence.
   If they cannot complete a coherent sentence, the stroke may be affecting their speech/comprehension center resulting in a condition called aphasia.
3. Ask the person to raise both arms.
   If they are unable to raise both arms, the stroke may be affecting their motor area of the brain resulting in a condition called hemiplegia (paralysis of one side of the body).

Classic Stroke Symptoms

   Sudden onset of any of the following:

• Loss of sight in one eye, dimmed/blurred vision, confused vision.
• Difficulty speaking, slurred or sluggish speech, loss of words or difficulty understanding words.
• Weakness, clumsiness or loss of strength in face, hand, arm, and/or leg on either the left or right side.
• Numbness or heaviness feeling in face, hand, arm and/or leg on either the left or right side.
• Severe unexplained headache, referred to as the "worst headache of your life."
• Unexplained dizziness, unrelated to sudden movements of the head.

   Other less common stroke symptoms

• Sudden onset of nausea, fever and vomiting not resulting from another illness.
• Fainting or confusion.
• Convulsions or coma.

Stroke is an Emergency. If any of the above exist,

CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY!