Stroke signs

The check

FAST, letter by letter

Healthdirect gives the word FAST as a way to remember the signs of a stroke. Here are its four parts, in its order, in plain words.

1. F
   FaceHas their face, or their mouth, drooped?
2. A
   ArmsAre they able to lift both arms?
3. S
   SpeechIs their speech slurred? Can they understand what you say?
4. T
   Time is criticalIf you notice any one of these signs, call Triple Zero (000) straight away and ask for an ambulance. Early treatment could save their life.

One sign is enough. Healthdirect’s instruction is to call if you see any of them, not all three.

More signs

Other signs the ambulance services name

Healthdirect’s list of medical problems that need an ambulance includes sudden weakness in the face, an arm or a leg, or trouble speaking, which it says could be signs of a stroke. The Queensland Ambulance Service lists the same signs, in nearly the same words.

Ambulance Victoria puts it most simply. Its page says: “You should call Triple Zero (000) if you or someone you’re with is experiencing:”, and one of the things that follows is “signs of a stroke”.

What NSW Ambulance’s guide for retirees describes

NSW Ambulance publishes a signs and symptoms guide written for people of retirement age. Under stroke, it describes someone who:

• seems drunk, has trouble talking, and may slur their words
• dribbles, has trouble swallowing, or loses control of the bladder or bowel
• has lost the use of the limbs or face muscles on one side of the body
• is weak, or cannot move
• has sudden blurred vision or confusion
• has an unusual headache that lingers

The guide’s instruction for signs like these is to get medical help straight away by calling Triple Zero (000) and asking for an ambulance. Notice the first line: a person having a stroke can look as if they have been drinking.

Related emergencies

When a stroke comes with something else

Stroke turns up in other emergencies too. Healthdirect notes that heatstroke may trigger sudden events such as a stroke or a heart attack, and it lists stroke among the possible causes of a faint. The guides to heat and to what to do after a fall cover those.

The call

Making the call

When you call, ask for an ambulance. Healthdirect’s advice is to keep calm, speak slowly and clearly, and stay on the line until the operator tells you to hang up.

Ambulance Victoria explains the order of the call. Once you have asked for an ambulance, the call-taker first asks where you need it, which it calls the most important piece of information, then checks the address by asking for the nearest cross street or a landmark you know. Next comes what the emergency is. Once the call-taker knows where and what, help is sent, and their further questions do not delay it.

NSW Ambulance asks people not to drive themselves to hospital in an urgent medical situation: it says those who do have often come to grief, risking further injury to themselves and to everyone else on the road.

The wait

While you wait

What to do between the call and the ambulance’s arrival is on healthdirect’s stroke page, under its section on waiting for the ambulance.