SPOTTING A STROKE

F: Face drooping. During a stroke, one side of the face can become numb or droop. This can cause a person’s smile to appear uneven.

A: Arm weakness. A stroke will cause weakness in one arm or a feeling of numbness. If you ask a person who is having a stroke to raise both of their arms, one will drift downward.

S: Speech difficulty. Someone who is having a stroke will probably not be able to speak properly. Their words will be slurred, or it will be hard to understand them. They often will struggle to repeat a simple sentence.

T: Time to call 999. If a friend or loved one is exhibiting any of these symptoms, call 999 and get to a hospital. Don’t hesitate! Even if only some of the symptoms are present, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Be sure to take note of the time that the stroke symptoms started to show, even if they end up going away.

NOTE  The telephone number to call in the UK is 999