How to identify warning signs of stroke!

Imagine someone suddenly struggling to smile or speak — their face droops on one side, and their words come out garbled. This isn’t just fatigue or confusion — it could be a stroke. A stroke is a medical emergency that occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted, and every second counts. Recognizing the early warning signs can save lives and significantly reduce long-term disability. In this article, you’ll learn how to identify the most common — and sometimes subtle — signs of stroke.

Common Warning Signs of Stroke

Medical experts use the acronym F.A.S.T. to help people quickly remember the most urgent symptoms of a stroke:

• F – Face Drooping: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of their face droop or feel numb?

• A – Arm Weakness: Ask them to raise both arms. Is one arm drifting downward or feeling weak?

• S – Speech Difficulty: Ask them to repeat a simple sentence. Is their speech slurred or strange?

• T – Time to Call Emergency Services: If you see any of these signs, call emergency services immediately.

But F.A.S.T. doesn’t cover all symptoms. Doctors now recommend the B.E.F.A.S.T. approach to catch more signs:

• B – Balance: Sudden loss of balance or coordination, often with dizziness.

• E – Eyes: Sudden blurred or double vision in one or both eyes.

Together, B.E.F.A.S.T. provides a more complete picture of what to watch for — especially in strokes that affect the brain’s back side (posterior circulation), which may not show facial symptoms.

What to Do If You Suspect a Stroke

If you notice any of the above symptoms — even if they go away within minutes — do not ignore them. Immediate action can mean the difference between full recovery and lifelong disability.

Here’s what to do:

1. Call Emergency Services Immediately: Do not wait. The faster a stroke victim receives medical care, the better the chances of recovery.

2. Note the Time of Symptom Onset: Doctors need this to determine treatment options like clot-busting medications.

3. Do Not Give Food or Water: The person may have difficulty swallowing, which increases the risk of choking.

4. Keep the Person Calm and Still: Avoid unnecessary movement until help arrives.

Types of Stroke (and Why They Matter)

Understanding the types of strokes can help explain why symptoms vary:

1. Ischemic Stroke (most common – ~87%): Caused by a blockage in an artery supplying blood to the brain.

2. Hemorrhagic Stroke: Caused by bleeding into the brain due to a ruptured vessel.

3. Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) or Mini-Stroke: Temporary blockage with stroke-like symptoms that resolve in minutes to hours. It’s still an emergency and a warning sign of a future major stroke.

Stroke Risk Factors & Prevention Tips

Common Risk Factors:

• High blood pressure (most important)
• Diabetes
• Smoking
• High cholesterol
• Obesity
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat)
• Family history of stroke

How to Lower Your Risk:

• Monitor your blood pressure and keep it under control.
Exercise regularly – even 30 minutes of brisk walking helps.
Eat a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Quit smoking and avoid excessive alcohol.
Manage stress through mindfulness or yoga.
Regular checkups, especially after age 40 or with a family history of stroke.

Conclusion: Early Detection Saves Lives

Strokes can strike anyone, anytime — but recognizing the warning signs early can mean faster treatment, better recovery, and even saved lives. Whether it’s sudden dizziness, slurred speech, or facial drooping, every second counts.

If you or a loved one experience any symptoms of stroke, don’t wait — seek immediate medical help.

Worried about your risk of stroke?

Book a consultation with our top neurologists at Neurowellness Brain & Spine Clinic, Bangalore.
We offer expert evaluation, personalized risk assessments, and preventive care to keep your brain healthy.

Book Your Appointment Now

FAQs

1. Can stroke symptoms go away on their own?

Yes, in the case of a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA), symptoms may disappear within minutes or hours — but this is still a medical emergency and a warning sign of a future stroke.

2. Are stroke symptoms always sudden?

Most stroke symptoms occur suddenly. However, in some cases (like small vessel disease), symptoms may be more subtle and progress slowly.

3. Can younger people have strokes?

Absolutely. While risk increases with age, strokes can and do occur in people under 45 — especially those with risk factors like hypertension, diabetes, or lifestyle issues.

4. What tests are done to diagnose a stroke?

Common tests include CT scan, MRI, carotid ultrasound, and blood tests to identify the type and cause of the stroke.

5. Is full recovery possible after a stroke?

Yes, especially if treatment begins quickly. Recovery depends on the type of stroke, the severity, the area of the brain affected, and how quickly treatment begins.

What facts you should know about brain stroke?

What is a brain stroke?

A stroke, also known as a brain attack, occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted(Ischemic stroke) or blood leaks out of the vessels(Haemorrhagic stroke). It’s a life-or-death situation. Parts of the brain are injured or die in both cases. A stroke can result in long-term brain damage, disability, or even death.

To function properly, the brain requires a steady supply of oxygen and nutrients. Even if the blood flow is interrupted for a brief period of time, this can cause issues. Without blood or oxygen, brain cells begin to die after only a few minutes.

Brain function is lost when brain cells die. It’s possible that you won’t be able to do tasks that require the particular section of your brain affected by stroke, resulting in paralysis, vision and speech issues, cognitive challenges, and personality changes, depending on which part of the brain is affected.

Brain Stroke statistics:

Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death globally. Individuals and their families might be devastated by a stroke, which takes away their freedom. Adult disability is most commonly caused by this condition. Approximately 795,000 Americans have a stroke each year, with approximately 160,000 dying as a result of stroke-related causes. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is dedicated to lowering this burden via biomedical research.

In this blog, you will be learning about various facts related to a brain stroke that you may haven’t  know before! These could save a life and may help you in gathering information as well.

What International studies says-

Facts that you need to know about a brain stroke. These are as follows:

Stroke was responsible for one out of every six deaths caused by cardiovascular disease in 2018.

Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States gets a stroke. A stroke kills someone every 4 minutes.

A stroke affects more than 795,000 people in the United States each year. The first or new strokes account for around 6,10,000 of these.

A total of 185,000 strokes occur in people who have already had a stroke, accounting for approximately one-fourth of all strokes.

Ischemic strokes, in which blood flow to the brain is blocked, account for about 87 percent of all strokes.

Between 2014 and 2015, the cost of stroke in the United States was nearly $46 billion. This figure includes the cost of health-care services, stroke-treatment medications, and lost workdays.

Stroke is one of the leading causes of long-term disability. More than half of stroke survivors aged 65 and up lose mobility as a result of their stroke.

Women account for more than half of all stroke deaths.

Men are more likely to suffer strokes, but women are more likely to die from them.

Every year 700,000 people have a new or recurrent stroke.

Because there are around 4.7 million stroke survivors alive today, stroke is the primary cause of serious, long-term impairment.

The annual healthcare expenses spent on heart disease and cancer combined are less than the annual healthcare dollars spent on stroke therapy.

Over the age of 65, nearly three-quarters of all strokes occur, and the chance of having a stroke more than doubles every decade after the age of 55.

Every year, stroke kills twice as many women as breast cancer.

High blood pressure is the leading cause of stroke, and one in every three African Americans suffers from it.

What Indian Statistics says?

Stroke caused 6,99,000 deaths in India in 2019, which was 7.4% of the total deaths.

Around 1.8 million people in India suffer from a stroke every year

Global Burden of Disease study shows that of the 9.4 million deaths in India, 619,000 were due to stroke and Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lost were 28.5 million

20-30% of strokes occur in people younger than 45 years and is more frequently seen in India compared to the west.

Prevalence rate of stroke range, 84-262/100,000 in rural and 334-424/100,000 in urban areas.

The incidence rate is 119-145/100,000.

Incidence of stroke increases with increasing age, but in our urban population it peaked in the highly productive age group of 46-65 years. The risk of stroke was lower in women as compared to men under the age of 45, it becoming equal in the age group of 46-65. However, with advancing age, women were more prone to ischemic stroke(infarct) above the age of 65 as compared to men. Incidence of intracerebral haemorrhage was found to be significantly higher in men than women under the age of 45years

There are new medicines that can considerably lessen the damage caused by a stroke, but you must go to the hospital where comprehensive stroke unit centres are there as early as possible of the onset of symptoms to avoid disability. Controlling hypertension could prevent 320,000 strokes each year.

During a stroke, two million brain cells die every minute, raising the risk of permanent brain damage, disability, or death.

WHO says-

There are17M Strokes

6.5 Millions  deaths

26 Million survivors

Specialized stroke units care increase the chances of survival by 14%

Clot bursting medications increases chances of good outcome by 30%

Clot retrieval treatment increases the chances of good outcome by more than 50%

Neurowellness provides Advanced Stroke treatment in Bangalore at affordable cost in comparison with the other medical treatment options world wide.

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