Stroke Signs and symptoms
F.A.S.T. Warning Signs
Use the letters in F.A.S.T. to spot a Stroke
F = Face Drooping – Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person's smile uneven?
A = Arm Weakness – Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
S = Speech Difficulty – Is speech slurred?
T = Time to call 911 – Stroke is an emergency. Every minute counts. Call 911 immediately. Note the time when any of the symptoms first appear.
Other Stroke Symptoms
Watch for Sudden:
NUMBNESS or weakness of face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
CONFUSION, trouble speaking or understanding speech
TROUBLE SEEING in one or both eyes
TROUBLE WALKING, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
SEVERE HEADACHE with no known cause
Silent strokes are undected strokes. They happen when a blood vessel blockage in the brain causes cells to die. There is no signs or symptoms visable.
About 1/4 of people over the age of 80 have at least one of these areas of tissue death, known as a "silent infarct," in the brain. This is more common in aging, smokers and people with vascular disease.
Experts estimate that 10 silent strokes occur for every detectable ones. These silent ones have been linked to subtle problems in person's movement, mental processing, future risk for strokes and dementia.
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