About 800,000 people in the United States have a stroke every year, according to the American Heart Association. It is a major cause of long-term disability, and the treatment window is narrow.
Nearly 2 million brain cells die every minute a stroke goes untreated. That is why recognizing the warning signs quickly matters so much.
Doctors and stroke organizations use a six-letter memory aid, BE FAST, to make the signs easy to spot in seconds.
The 6 signs to look for
The Cleveland Clinic explains each letter in plain terms. B stands for balance, a sudden loss of balance or coordination. E stands for eyes, changes in vision such as loss of sight in one or both eyes or double vision.
Also read: Doctor warns of five cancer signs many people overlook
F stands for face, drooping on one side. A stands for arms (and legs), weakness in a limb, especially if one arm or leg drifts down when both are raised.
S stands for speech, slurred or difficult speech, or trouble understanding others. T stands for time, meaning call 911 immediately.
The signs share one feature. "Remember that in the case of a stroke, you're looking for sudden signs and symptoms," says Blake Buletko, a neurologist at Cleveland Clinic.
A sudden severe headache with no known cause can also be a warning sign, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
Also read: Under 500 calories, 30g of protein: 10 dinners built to keep you full
Why speed matters more than certainty
Stroke treatments that can dissolve a clot or remove it work best when given within a few hours of the first symptom. Every minute of delay costs brain tissue and narrows what doctors can do to restore function.
That is why every list of warning signs ends the same way. Do not wait to see if the symptoms pass. Do not drive yourself or the person to the hospital.
Call 911 so paramedics can begin assessing and treating the stroke on the way to the emergency room, which the American Heart Association calls the fastest way to get stroke care.
When symptoms fade on their own
Sometimes the signs disappear within minutes. That does not mean the danger has passed. It may be a transient ischemic attack (TIA), described by the NHLBI as a blockage that breaks up before it damages your brain.
Also read: The 6 worst foods for your blood pressure - and what to eat instead
A TIA is often a warning that a larger stroke could follow within hours or days, and it still needs urgent medical evaluation. Anyone whose symptoms came and went should still talk to a doctor as soon as possible.
If you see any of these signs
Call 911 immediately. Do not drive. Note the time the symptoms started, because that number can determine which treatments are still on the table when the patient reaches the hospital.
Recognizing the six BE FAST signs, and reacting within minutes, is one of the few things a bystander can do that measurably changes whether a stroke survivor walks, speaks and lives independently afterward.
Also read: Scientists: Just seven days of meditation changed the brain
Also read: The Pennsylvania county where RFK Jr. rallied against vaccines is now a measles hotspot
This article is made and published by Jesper Bengtson, who may have used AI in the preparation.