Stroke symptoms can be pronounced or vague. Any combination or severity of the following list of symptoms requires immediate medical attention. Unfortunately, many people wait because they are having mild symptoms or vague feelings that something isn’t quite right. They prolong contacting their doctor in hope the symptoms will go away. Precious time is lost and the stroke either worsens or is not treatable.
Numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially if on one side of the body
Confusion
Difficulty speaking or understanding what is being said
Visual difficulty
Difficulty walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
Severe headache
Any of the symptoms listed above warrant a 911 call! Strokes are emergencies! When having a stroke the goal is for the patient to get to the emergency department within one to three hours of the start of their symptoms. There is medication that will help dissolve the clot that is causing the stroke. The old belief that nothing can be done no longer holds true. The sooner a person gets medical help the better the outcome can be.