Overview
A stroke happens when blood supply to part of the brain is suddenly cut off by a clot or a burst vessel, and brain cells begin dying within minutes. Remember FAST: Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty — Time to rush to hospital. Clot-dissolving treatment can reverse damage but only works within the first 4.5 hours, so reaching a stroke-ready hospital immediately changes everything.
Symptoms
- Sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side
- Sudden slurred speech or inability to speak or understand
- Sudden drooping of one side of the face
- Sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes
- Sudden severe headache unlike any before
- Sudden loss of balance or coordination
When to see a doctor
Even if symptoms disappear within minutes (a mini-stroke or TIA), see a neurologist urgently — a TIA is a loud warning that a major stroke may follow within days.
Emergency — call 108 or go to the nearest hospital
- Any FAST sign — Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech trouble — call 108 / reach a stroke-ready hospital immediately; note the exact time symptoms started
- Sudden severe headache with vomiting or drowsiness
Causes
Most strokes are ischemic — a clot blocking a brain artery, driven by high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol and irregular heartbeat (atrial fibrillation). Some are bleeds from uncontrolled blood pressure.