A simple way to recognize a stroke

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A stroke can be a debilitating condition if it is not recognized early and treated promptly. Without effective treatment it is almost a given that there will be permanent neurological damage. However, there is a way to remember the most common presenting symptoms of a stroke, as outlined below.

Many times a stroke will not present with headache or a loss of consciousness, so it is important to recognize the presenting symptoms if they ever develop. A simple and effective way to do this is to remember the acronym FAST, which stands for Face, Arms, Speech, and Time.

Face
One of the most common signs of a stroke is weakness of the facial muscles on one side of the face. Smiling is the simplest way of detecting weakness in these muscles. If there is weakness then the mouth on the affected side will not rise up and there may be a sensation that the face, especially the lower portion of the face, is drooping on that side.

Arms
Arm drift is also another common sign of a stroke. The arms should be held out horizontally, if one of them begins to drift downwards, this could indicate a stroke.

Speech
There is often a disturbance in speech where words become slurred and difficult to understand. Depending on the location of the stroke in the brain, other speech abnormalities may also be present.

Time
If someone has an abrupt onset of the above three symptoms, then it is imperative for that person to act quickly and call emergency services or get to a hospital as fast and as safe as possible. Prompt treatment of a stroke is always associated with a better outcome.

Although a stroke can potentially present with a constellation of different symptoms, the above acronym has been shown to work well as a screening tool to be used by the general public to detect the onset of a stroke. As stressed before, time to treatment is possibly the most important factor in determining the outcome of a stroke.