Symptoms of Stroke: If You Notice This, Call an Ambulance Immediately

Something is happening to you, but you can't figure out if it's just fatigue, distraction, or something more serious. If you can't smile, say a simple sentence, stick your tongue out straight, or raise your arms, call 911.

According to Stethoscope, the most common cause of damage to blood vessels in the brain that leads to a stroke is atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis is a disease that leads to the formation of deposits of fat, connective tissue, clots, calcium, and other substances in the lumen of blood vessels, which causes narrowing, blockage, and/or weakening of the blood vessel.

Although you cannot influence your age, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet, inactivity, and obesity are the main preventable causes of the disease.

During a stroke, much damage can be prevented by seeking medical help promptly. If you arrive within three hours of the first symptoms appearing, recovery chances are greatly improved. The key is in quick and accurate recognition and getting the patient to a neurologist within that window, which is often the most challenging part.

How to Recognize a Stroke – 3 Steps

The initial symptoms of a stroke are sometimes difficult to recognize, and the patient may experience severe brain damage.

The most common symptoms:

• Numbness, weakness, or loss of sensation in the face, arm, or leg, especially if one side of the body is affected
• Speech disorders: slurred and unintelligible speech, complete inability to speak, and/or difficulty understanding another person’s speech
• Sudden blurring or loss of vision, especially in one eye or half of the visual field
• A sudden severe headache followed by vomiting without a clear cause
• Loss of balance and/or coordination associated with other symptoms
• Dizziness or vertigo, unsteadiness while walking, sudden falls associated with other symptoms

How to Recognize It by Asking the Patient Three Simple Tasks

• Ask the person to smile
• Ask the person to say a simple sentence (e.g., "Today is a nice day")
• Ask the person to raise both hands

If the person is unable to perform any of these tasks correctly, call 911 and describe the observed symptoms.

Another indicator of a stroke is sticking out the tongue. If the tongue leans to one side despite the person trying to keep it centered, this may be a sign.

Stroke is associated with a very high death rate; two-thirds of patients with a stroke are left with varying degrees of neurological deficit. One-third of patients are permanently disabled and completely dependent on the help of others.