Act FAST

Act FAST

STROKE HAPPENS. To you. To those you love.
Know the signs. Act F.A.S.T!

FAST stands for face, arms, speech and time, and is being used as part of a campaign by the Stroke Awareness Foundation to educate the public about warning signs of stroke and seek proper medical services immediately. If you think a person is having a stroke, call 9-1-1, especially if the person has trouble with these basic commands.

Face Does one side of the face droop? Ask the person to smile.

Arms Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

Speech Is speech slurred? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Is the sentence repeated

correctly?

Time If the person shows any of these symptoms, CALL 9-1-1 Immediately!

Ask to be Transported to aCertifiedStrokeCenter.

Ask if t-PA is Right For You.

A stroke happens when a part of the brain dies from lack of blood, usually because one of the arteries that supply oxygen-carrying blood to the brain has been damaged. There are two ways this can happen:

1. Clogged vessel or ischemic stroke: Caused by blockage of a blood vessel in the brain, usually by a blood clot or by fatty deposits on the vessel wall. 80% of strokes are ischemic.
2. Burst vessel or hemorrhagic stroke: Caused by a ruptured blood vessel, preventing normal flow and allowing blood to leak into brain tissue, destroying it. This occurs in 20% of strokes.

Stroke is a common and often misunderstood condition and its early symptoms are often ignored. Some brain cells deprived of oxygen die within minutes. Others may take a few hours to die depending on the nature of the blockage or hemorrhage. When part of the brain dies from lack of blood flow, the part of the body it controls is affected. Strokes can cause paralysis, affect language and vision, and cause other problems. The loss of physical and mental functions is often permanent and can include motor-function disability. The most effective treatment for stroke can be administered if it is within three hours of the onset of stroke but to receive them, one must recognize the warning signs and act quickly.