The Mayo Clinic recommends the FAST method to identify common stroke symptoms:
- F – Face: Check if one side of the face droops or feels numb. Ask the person to smile and see if it looks uneven.
- A – Arms: Determine if one arm is weak or numb. Ask the person to raise both arms and observe if one drifts downward.
- S – Speech: Notice if speech is slurred, garbled, or hard to understand. Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence like, “The sky is blue.”
- T – Time to call 911: If you notice any of these signs, even if they disappear, call for emergency help right away.