Early Warning Signs of a Stroke — This One-Minute Self-Check Could Save a Life

Most strokes give warning signals before they occur. The problem is those signals are easily mistaken for other things — fatigue, poor sleep, low blood sugar.

The most important acronym: BE-FAST.

B — Balance. Sudden loss of balance or coordination.
E — Eyes. Sudden vision changes or loss in one eye.
F — Face. One side droops when smiling.
A — Arms. One arm drifts down when both are raised.
S — Speech. Slurred or confused speech.
T — Time. Call emergency services immediately.

Other warning signs: sudden severe headache (worst of your life), numbness on one side, sudden confusion. A transient ischemic attack (TIA or "mini-stroke") with symptoms that come and go is a critical warning — a major stroke often follows within days.

The window for stroke treatment is narrow — typically 4.5 hours from symptom onset. Every minute of delay destroys roughly 1.9 million brain cells. Know BE-FAST. Share it with your family.