Recognizing Stroke Symptoms

It takes the average person 13 hours to recognize the seriousness of stroke symptoms and get to a hospital. During this time, the brain suffers irreparable and otherwise treatable damage. Why does it take so long for someone to seek out medical attention for such a serious illness? Some people wait to report strokes because they believe them to be untreatable, while others simply don't know how to recognize the symptoms. According to the National Stroke Association, the five most common and recognizable stroke symptoms include:
Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or inability to understand others
Sudden trouble seeing from one or both eyes
Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
Sudden severe headache with no known cause
Stroke symptoms should not be taken lightly. If you experience or see someone else experiencing one of these symptoms (even if it goes away quickly), call 911 immediately. Learning to recognize these symptoms may save your life or the life of someone you love.

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