Stroke
Face droop, arm weakness, speech trouble. Note the time and call 112.
criticalHIGH-CONFIDENCE GUIDANCEReviewed 2026-08-18
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RECOGNIZE
- FACE: one side of the face droops when they try to smile.
- ARMS: one arm drifts down when both arms are raised.
- SPEECH: speech is slurred, strange, or they cannot repeat a simple sentence.
- TIME: note the time symptoms started and call 112.
- Also: sudden trouble seeing, sudden trouble walking, dizziness or loss of balance, sudden severe headache with no known cause.
CALL
- Call 112 the moment any one FAST sign appears — a single sign is enough.
- Stroke treatment is time-limited, so every minute matters.
DO NOW
- 1DO THE FAST CHECKFace, Arms, Speech. Any one sign is enough to act.
- 2WRITE DOWN THE TIMENote when symptoms started, or when the person was last seen well.
- 3CALL 112 NOWSay clearly: suspected stroke, and give the time symptoms started.
- 4KEEP THEM SAFE AND STILLHelp them lie down with head and shoulders slightly raised, and stay with them.
- 5NOTHING BY MOUTHDo not give food, drink or tablets — swallowing may be unsafe.
DO NOT DO
- DO NOT give aspirin for a suspected stroke — a stroke can be caused by bleeding in the brain.
- DO NOT give food, water or medicines if swallowing may be affected.
- DO NOT wait to see if the weakness improves.
- DO NOT drive the person yourself if an ambulance can reach you — ambulances can route to a stroke-ready hospital.
- DO NOT let them sleep it off.
WHILE WAITING FOR HELP
- Stay beside the person; symptoms can worsen quickly.
- Keep a written note of the onset time and how the symptoms changed.
- Gather their medicine list, especially blood thinners.
- If they become unresponsive, check breathing and be ready to start CPR.
WHEN TO ESCALATE
- Unresponsive with abnormal or absent breathing → Cardiac Arrest flow.
- Unresponsive but breathing normally → recovery position and keep watching breathing.
- Seizure → Seizure flow.
AFTERCARE
- Even if symptoms disappear within minutes, the person still needs urgent hospital assessment.
- Take the onset-time note with you to hospital.
MEDICAL SOURCES
American Heart Association
Guidelines for CPR and ECC — Basic Life Support / First Aid
Published / updated 2020 · Evidence reviewed for this app on 2026-08-18
Open sourceAmerican Red Cross
Focused Updates and Guidelines for First Aid
Published / updated 2024 · Evidence reviewed for this app on 2026-08-18
Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India
Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) — 112 pan-India emergency number
Published / updated 2019 · Evidence reviewed for this app on 2026-08-18
Open source
This content is educational first-aid guidance and does not replace emergency medical care. Guidelines can change. Verify clinical guidance periodically.