How to Tell If Someone is Having a Stroke

We were having a cup of tea, chatting about this and that when I noticed my mother had fallen silent and was looking quizzically at her left hand. She didn’t respond to my query, “Is something wrong?” which was answer enough. She was in her 70s and undergoing chemotherapy, so she was already weakened, but I recognized the signs immediately. Mom was having a stroke or TIA (transient ischemic attack).

Stroke is the third leading cause of death, and it is the leading cause of adult disability in the United States. What makes it particularly scary is that it can occur suddenly and in such a way that the person having the stroke may be unaware that there is anything seriously wrong. There are treatments that can halt or reverse the damage caused by an acute stroke, but they only work if they are administered in the short time window after symptoms first appear. If you recognize any of these signs – even if they go away – call 9-1-1 immediately and tell the operator, paramedics or emergency room staff, “I think this is a stroke.”

The symptoms of a TIA and stroke are basically the same. Someone having a TIA or stroke may experience one or more of the following symptoms:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination

A TIA  is often described as a mini-stroke. Unlike a stroke however, the symptoms can disappear within a few minutes and most resolve in less than 24 hours. Of course, I learned much of this after Mom’s TIA.

The National Stroke Association has a lot of great information including a short video that teaches the signs of stroke FAST: face, arms, speech and time.

You can save a person’s life when you act FAST and get them to the hospital!