Act FAST

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. With Stroke – Time is Brain. For every minute that brain cells are deprived of oxygen during stroke, the likelihood of brain damage increases. Act FAST stands for face, arms, speech and time.

Here’s how it works:

Face
Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?

Arms
Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

Speech
Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Are the words slurred?
Can the patient repeat the sentence correctly?

Time
Get the affected person to a hospital right away to receive the most effective treatment.

*If a person is having trouble with these basic commands, call 911 immediately.