Symptoms of a Stroke

The symptoms of a stroke include:

• Severe headache, dizziness, or loss of coordination or balance
• Nausea or vomiting
• Numbness or tingling sensations, or partial paralysis, especially on one side of the body
• Difficulty speaking or swallowing
• Facial paralysis, especially on just one side of the face
• Double vision, vision loss, or other vision changes

If a person cannot lift both arms overhead, or cannot smile with both sides of the mouth, a stroke should be suspected. Get immediate medical help, even if the symptoms seem to get better or even go away. Time is of the essence with stroke, with the best outcomes if treatment starts within the first few hours after the stroke.

The American Stroke Association uses the acronym BE FAST to help identify symptoms of stoke and the need for quick response: B (balance suddenly seems off) E (eyes/vision problems) F (face drooping), A (arm weakness), and S (speech) means T (time to call 911). 

For more about stroke, see intracerebral hemorrhage and carotid occlusive disease.

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