FAST Method To Detect Common Symptoms Of Stroke

American Heart Association, The National Stroke Association, and others have adopted the term FAST (Facial drooping, Arm weakness, Speech problems, and Time) to educate the public on spotting stroke symptoms. In 1998, FAST was initially introduced in the United Kingdom.

5 Classic Warning Signs Of Stroke

If any of the following symptoms appear unexpectedly, you may be seeing a stroke:

• Feeling numb or weak on one side of the face, arm, or leg
• Difficulty communicating or understanding language
• Difficulties seeing or hearing in one or both eyes and ears
• Unexplained dizziness or loss of balance
• A severe headache with no apparent cause

These typical stroke symptoms can last only a few minutes. Or for a few hours. It could be a single symptom or a collection of symptoms. It all depends on which portion of the brain is deprived of blood.

Also read: Winter Stroke: Expert Explains Ways To Prevent It

You may be experiencing a stroke if you are unable to talk or notice food or drink dripping out of your mouth due to facial droop. Other stroke symptoms include numbness in your face or limbs, inability to move an arm or leg, and a rapid onset of double vision or dizziness.

Other Common Stroke Symptoms

Stroke symptoms can be subtle at times. However, many people, including doctors, find it difficult to identify symptoms that aren’t obvious. As a result, they do not ascribe transient symptoms such as double vision, fatigue, nausea, or vomiting to a stroke.

This is a concern for women, who are affected differently by strokes than males. While women exhibit the classic symptoms of stroke, they also report a unique combination of symptoms. These symptoms, like the others, appear unexpectedly:

• Face or leg discomfort
• Hiccups
• feeling tired
• chest pain
• Breathing difficulty
• A fast heartbeat

What To Do When You Notice The Signs Of Stroke?

A stroke is considered a medical emergency. The stroke victim needs immediate medical attention. That will necessitate rapid thinking and action on your part.

The medical community devised a simple test called FAST to help individuals recall and react to the most prevalent warning symptoms of stroke. If you suspect someone is having a stroke, administer the following test:

• Face – Request that the subject smile. If one side of his face is drooping or the smile is crooked. We can say that it may be a sign of facial weakness or numbness.
• Arms – Request that the person raise both arms. Does one of his arms droop? Is it possible for them to lift one arm higher than the other? This indicates a weakness on one side of their body.
• Speech – Request that the person repeat a basic word. Did they make a slur? Did they say anything strange? Could they possibly say it again? Stroke symptoms include difficulty speaking.
• Time- If the person fails any element of the test, take note of the time and seek assistance. Tell them what time you administered the test so that they can estimate the length of the stroke.

What if the symptoms go away?

Just when the symptoms go away doesn’t indicate that everyone is free of stroke. A stroke of any length can cause long-term damage. Even if you’re mistaken, it’s preferable to be safe and seek care than to disregard the warning symptoms of a possibly fatal occurrence.

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