Health
Stroke Warning Signs: Seven Symptoms You Should Never Ignore
Learn seven stroke warning signs, from facial drooping to sudden vision changes, and find out when to seek emergency medical care.
Stroke warning signs often appear suddenly and require immediate medical attention. A stroke occurs when blood flow to part of the brain is blocked or when a blood vessel bursts. According to the World Health Organization, prompt treatment is essential to reduce the risk of death and long-term disability.
Seven Symptoms of a Possible Stroke
- Face drooping: One side of the face may sag, especially when smiling.
- Weakness or numbness: Sudden weakness or numbness in the face, arm or leg, particularly on one side of the body.
- Speech difficulties: Slurred speech, difficulty speaking or trouble understanding others.
- Sudden vision changes: Blurred vision, double vision or loss of sight in one or both eyes.
- Loss of balance: Sudden dizziness, difficulty walking or loss of coordination.
- Confusion: Sudden confusion or difficulty understanding what is happening around you.
- Severe headache: A sudden, intense headache with no obvious cause.
These symptoms are consistent with guidance from the CDC and the NHS.
What should you do?
If you or anyone experiences any of these symptoms, seek emergency medical care immediately, even if the symptoms disappear after a few minutes. Do not wait to see whether they improve. Brief symptoms can indicate a transient ischaemic attack (TIA), sometimes called a mini-stroke, which also requires urgent assessment.
