Stroke

Symptoms

Stroke is an emergency. Every minute counts. If stroke symptoms occur, call 911 immediately. The longer a stroke goes untreated, the greater the damage and potential disability.

Even for symptoms that go away quickly or don't cause pain, it's important to reach a hospital as soon as possible. The success of most treatment depends on how quickly a patient is seen by a doctor in a hospital emergency room after symptoms begin.

Common Symptoms of Stroke

• Sudden numbness, weakness, or paralysis of the face, arm or leg, usually on one side of the body
• Sudden loss of speech or trouble talking or understanding speech
• Sudden blurred, double or decreased vision
• Sudden dizziness, loss of balance or loss of coordination
• Sudden confusion or problems with memory, spatial orientation or perception
• Sudden, severe headache (often described as a thunderclap out of the blue) or unusual headache, which may be accompanied by a stiff neck, facial pain, pain between the eyes, vomiting or altered consciousness. Altered consciousness may be a symptom of hemorrhagic stroke.