If you suspect a stroke, call 911 immediately!
The warning signs of a major stroke include:
- Sudden weakness, clumsiness or numbness of the face, arm or leg on one side of the body
- Loss of speech, or difficulty speaking (e.g., garbled words)
- Acute dimness or loss of vision in one eye – often described as a shade coming down over the field of vision in one eye - or loss of vision to one side out of both eyes
"Temporary strokes" (transient ischemic attacks or TIAs) can occur days, weeks or even months before a major permanent stroke. The symptoms occur rapidly and last a relatively short period of time, usually from a few minutes to several hours. The usual symptoms are like those of a major stroke, except that the signs and symptoms are temporary, typically lasting 24 hours or less. If you experience a TIA, you may be up to nine times more likely to suffer a major stroke in the near future.