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Learn The Warning Signs Of A Stroke

Four letters, five minutes to learn, and it's the difference between someone recovering fully and not recovering at all.

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Cost
Free
Time
Under 15 min
People
Solo / Duo, Small Group (3-6), Large Group (7+)
Where
Anywhere
Bring
Nothing in particular

Why this matters

Stroke treatment is extraordinarily time-dependent - the effective interventions work within a narrow window, and every minute of delay costs brain tissue permanently. The most common reason people arrive too late is that nobody around them recognised what was happening. The recognition test takes five minutes to learn and is the single biggest determinant of outcome.

How to do it

Learn the FAST test. It takes five minutes and it's the standard recognition tool used by health services worldwide.

  • Face: has their face dropped on one side? Can they smile?
  • Arms: can they raise both arms and keep them there?
  • Speech: is their speech slurred or garbled? Can they understand you?
  • Time: if you see any single one of these signs, call emergency services immediately.

The most important part is the last one. You do not need all three signs, you do not need to be sure, and you should not wait to see if it passes. Call.

Other signs worth knowing that FAST misses: sudden severe headache with no cause, sudden loss of vision in one eye, sudden dizziness or loss of balance, and sudden confusion.

Two things people commonly get wrong: - Waiting because the symptoms improved. Symptoms that resolve may be a mini-stroke, which is a serious warning of a larger one and still needs immediate assessment. - Driving them yourself. Call an ambulance - treatment starts en route and they'll be taken to a specialist unit rather than the nearest hospital.

Note the time symptoms started. It's the first thing you'll be asked, and it determines which treatments are available.

Teach it to everyone in your household, including teenagers.