Call 911 as soon as possible for BE FAST symptoms, association says
The American Stroke Association says following the six letters in BE FAST can help save people experiencing stroke and prevent permanent brain damage. The acronym brings together balance loss, eye changes, face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty and time to call 911. The signs help people recognize that a stroke may be occurring and respond quickly.
Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy’s case illustrates why knowing the warning signs matters. His staff said Murphy, 53, had the A for arm weakness: he felt numbness in his arm while at his son’s hockey game. The staff said he acted quickly to get care, the T for time. Murphy was hospitalized with a stroke on Saturday, and his office said his prognosis was excellent.
The association’s emergency instruction applies specifically to the six BE FAST symptoms: if you or someone you are with is experiencing them, call 911 as soon as you can. Getting care quickly is very important for survival and minimizing long-term effects. Being seen by medical professionals as soon as possible gives people the best shot at survival and full recovery.
For B, balance loss, dizziness, trouble walking or a sudden loss of balance can indicate that a stroke may be occurring.
For E, eye changes, the association asks whether the person is having trouble with vision. Blurred vision, double vision or loss of sight in one eye are important symptoms.
For F, face drooping, ask the person to smile and check whether the smile is uneven. Numbness or drooping on one side of the face also is a symptom.
For A, arm weakness, numbness in one arm and weakness are symptoms. Ask the person to raise both arms and see whether one arm drifts down. Murphy experienced numbness in one arm, the sign described under A.
For S, speech difficulty, trouble talking is another common symptom. Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence and check whether the speech is slurred or hard to understand.
The final T stands for time to call 911.
A stroke happens when blood flow to or within the brain is interrupted. It can happen when an artery is blocked or a blood vessel in the brain bursts. Brain tissue deprived of oxygen can be permanently damaged, resulting in long-term disability or death.
The American Stroke Association also identifies a severe headache, confusion and numbness on one side of the body as other important symptoms of a stroke.
NPR reported that heart-disease deaths declined and identified heart disease as the “#1 killer”. Separately, the American Heart Association said stroke was the fourth-leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2023, killing more than 162,000 people.