What are the symptoms of a stroke?

[Text on screen: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
What are the symptoms of a stroke?]

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[Text on screen: Matthew Gusler, DO
Osteopathic Physician
Ohio State Wexner Medical Center] 

Matthew Gusler, DO: Symptoms of a stroke are any sudden onset neurological symptoms, sudden onset weakness of the arms or legs, sensation problems, language problems, speech problems, vision problems, or balance problems. 

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Classic symptoms are the same for women and men, but we do find that in women, they are more likely to present with nausea or loss of consciousness, confusion. But really, the hallmark of stroke symptoms is any sudden onset neurological change where someone is normal, normal, normal, bam. 

BFAST is an acronym that summarizes the symptoms of a stroke. So B is for balance, E is for eyes, such as sudden onset vision problems such as loss of vision in one eye, loss of vision in a part of the visual field, sudden double vision. F is for face as in a face droop. A is for arm, as in suddenly someone has trouble moving their arm and S is for speech. 

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Someone suddenly has difficulty with slurring their speech or finding the words that they want to say, and then T is for time, you should go straight to the hospital to see if there's anything we can do to help stop the stroke.

[Text on screen: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
For more information, visit: wexnermedical.osu.edu/stroke]

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