Stroke kills over 40,000 people a year and leaves around two thirds of stroke survivors with a disability.
Public Health England has launched its annual Act F.A.S.T. campaign to ensure the public know what to look out for, and know that they should immediately ring 999 if they notice any one of signs in themselves or others.
The symptoms are easy to remember if you think about acting F.A.S.T.
- Face – has their face fallen on one side? Can they smile?
- Arms – Can they raise both their arms and keep them there?
- Speech – Is their speech slurred?
- Time – It’s time to call 999 if you see any single one of these signs
This information, and more, is available in several accessible formats on the Act F.A.S.T. web page (in the black box in the bottom right of the screen) including A BSL (British Sign Language) video, an audio version for people with sight issues, an Easy Read version of the leaflet, and a Large Print version.
There are also other symptoms that may occasionally be due to stroke.
They include:
- Sudden loss of vision or blurred vision in one or both eyes
- Sudden weakness or numbness on one side of your body (including your leg)
- Sudden memory loss or confusion
- Sudden dizziness, unsteadiness or a sudden fall, especially with any of the other symptoms
This year the campaign reveals that while the majority of strokes happen to those who are over 70, a larger proportion of strokes are occurring in middle age adults, aged 40 to 69.
Several leaflets have been produced for this campaign, which can be found below:
