Act FAST During Signs of a Stroke

1 comment March 17th, 2009

You’re sitting with your dad during dinner. He’s been complaining about a headache throughout the meal but keeps eating.  He puts down his fork, mumbling about having trouble seeing and feeling a bit numb on one side. Suddenly, he seems very confused and you can’t understand what he’s trying to say to you.  Time to act FAST!

FAST stands for: Face, Arms, Speech and Time. Signs of a stroke can include numbness of face, arms, legs (usually on one side of the body); confusion and trouble speaking; trouble seeing; sudden dizziness or trouble walking; and, severe headache.  Someone having a stroke may not present with any or all warning signs.  Use the acronym FAST to remember the classic warning signs of a stroke. FACE: Ask the person to smile. See if the person is unable to smile or one side of the smile droops. You can also ask the person to stick out the tongue to see if the person can control the tongue. ARMS: Ask the person to raise both arms at the same time; notice if the person can raise both arms. SPEECH: Ask the person to say a simple sentence. The person should be able  to say the sentence clearly and without difficulty. TIME: Note the time the symptoms begin.

Time is of the essence.  Even if you’re not sure the person has signs of a stroke, call 9-1-1.  There’s no need to repeatedly check the signs–let the professionals figure it out.  Seek medical attention even if the symptoms go away, as a stroke is indeed a very serious medical emergency.

You don’t have to be elderly to have a stroke.  Factors that might lead to a stroke include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, age, diabetes, history of blod clots, illicit drug use and even smoking.  Taking care of medical issues is a good way to lower risk of having a stroke.