The useful points to carry forward
- B — Balance: sudden dizziness, loss of balance or poor coordination.
- E — Eyes: sudden loss of vision, double vision or another new visual change.
- F — Face: ask the person to smile and look for one-sided drooping.
- A — Arms: ask them to raise both arms and watch for weakness or downward drift.
Stroke symptoms usually begin suddenly
A stroke interrupts blood flow in the brain or occurs when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. It is a medical emergency because brain injury can progress quickly. Warning signs often appear without warning and may affect movement, speech, vision, understanding or coordination.
Possible signs include sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg—especially on one side—sudden confusion, trouble speaking, difficulty understanding speech, a new problem seeing, loss of balance or coordination, or a sudden severe headache with no known cause. A person does not need to have every sign for a stroke to be possible.
Use BE FAST as a quick check
BE FAST is a memory aid, not a home diagnostic test. It helps people notice several common stroke signs and move quickly toward emergency assessment. If even one part of the check is suddenly abnormal, do not wait for additional symptoms.
Note when the person was last known to be well, or when the symptoms first appeared. That timing can help the hospital team make treatment decisions. Do not delay the emergency call while repeating the test or searching online.
- B — Balance: sudden dizziness, loss of balance or poor coordination.
- E — Eyes: sudden loss of vision, double vision or another new visual change.
- F — Face: ask the person to smile and look for one-sided drooping.
- A — Arms: ask them to raise both arms and watch for weakness or downward drift.
- S — Speech: listen for slurred, unusual or difficult speech.
- T — Time: call your local emergency number immediately if a sign is present.
Act even if the symptoms improve
Call local emergency services immediately when stroke is suspected and follow the dispatcher's instructions. An ambulance team may begin assessment and care before arrival at hospital. Do not let the affected person drive, and do not delay the call to give food, drink or medicines unless emergency professionals direct you.
Stroke-like symptoms that disappear after a few minutes can occur with a transient ischemic attack, sometimes called a TIA. Improvement does not make the episode safe to ignore; urgent medical assessment is still needed. This guide is general education and cannot determine the cause of an individual person's symptoms.
Guidance can change. This source was last checked for this article on 3 October 2026. See the editorial policy.