Stroke is a medical emergency—if symptoms appear, call 911 immediately.
A stroke is like a heart attack in your brain – it's that serious.
So, what should you do if you think that you or someone else is having a stroke? Call 911 immediately!
The FAST System
Don’t wait – act FAST. The FAST system was developed to help everyone know when to call for help. If someone suddenly starts showing symptoms like weakness, slurred speech, confusion or trouble walking, act FAST:
F – Face
Ask the person to smile. If one side of the face appears to droop or not work as well as the other, call 911.
A – Arms
Ask the person to raise both their arms and hold them up. If one drifts downwards or they cannot hold it up, call 911.
S – Speech
Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. One we like to use is “No ifs, ands, or buts.” If the speech sounds slurred or abnormal for that person, call 911.
T – Time
If you see any of these signs, please call 911 immediately and come straight to the Emergency Department. Don’t wait to see if you get better. Don’t wait to talk to your doctor. Don’t take a nap, even if really tired. Don’t drive yourself to the hospital or wait on a family member to drive you to the hospital. Call 911. For every minute of a stroke, 1.9 million brain cells are lost. For every hour, over 120 million brain cells are lost.
How common is stroke?
In the United States, someone has a stroke approximately every 40 seconds and someone dies from a stroke every 4 minutes. Strokes are the number one cause of long-term disability. Strokes can damage your ability to walk, talk, or do the ordinary tasks of daily living, from driving a car to feeding yourself.
There is no age limit on strokes, it can happen to a teenager as well as an older adult. There are risk factors that make it more likely for someone to have a stroke. The two most common risk factors are high blood pressure and diabetes, both of which can be managed to reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack.
Is there anything hospitals can do to help?
The good news is that there are many treatment options for people who are having a stroke, but they are time sensitive. The most critical time in a stroke is immediately after it starts, since this is when we can provide the most effective treatments. That means the faster you get to the Emergency Department, the more options for treatment are available. Some treatments are only available in the first 3-4 hours after stroke symptoms begin. So, don’t wait: act FAST and call 911 as soon as you suspect someone is having a stroke.
Stroke is a medical emergency—if symptoms appear, call 911 immediately.
Our Emergency Department is ready to help you and your loved ones 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is no time to waste when your brain is at stake.