Acting F.A.S.T. can help stroke patients get the treatments they desperately need. The stroke treatments that work best are available only if the stroke is recognized and diagnosed within 3 hours of the first symptoms. Stroke patients may not be eligible for these if they don’t arrive at the hospital in time.

If you think someone may be having a stroke, act F.A.S.T. and do the following simple test:

• F—Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
• A—Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
• S—Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is the speech slurred or strange?
• T—Time: If you see any of these signs, call 9-1-1 right away.

Note the time when any symptoms first appear. This information helps health care providers determine the best treatment for each person. Do not drive to the hospital or let someone else drive you. Call an ambulance so that medical personnel can begin life-saving treatment on the way to the emergency room.

A transient ischemic attack (TIA) — sometimes known as a ministroke — is a temporary period of symptoms similar to those you'd have in a stroke. A TIA doesn't cause permanent damage. They're caused by a temporary decrease in blood supply to part of your brain, which may last as little as five minutes.

Like an ischemic stroke, a TIA occurs when a clot or debris reduces or blocks blood flow to part of your nervous system.

Seek emergency care even if you think you've had a TIA because your symptoms got better. It's not possible to tell if you're having a stroke or TIA based only on your symptoms. If you've had a TIA, it means you may have a partially blocked or narrowed artery leading to your brain. Having a TIA increases your risk of having a full-blown stroke later.

• Atrial Fibrillation or other heart arrhythmias 
• High blood pressure
• Cigarette smoking or secondhand smoke exposure
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Cardiovascular disease, including heart failure, heart defects, heart infection or abnormal heart rhythm, such as atrial fibrillation
• Personal or family history of stroke, heart attack or transient ischemic attack
• COVID-19 infection

Some basic work up can help evaluate your risk for stroke and potentially place you on medications when necessary to reduce stroke risk. Some tests we can perform are:

• Carotid Ultrasound: Determine if you have any plaque built up in the arteries of your neck that are at risk of breaking off and causing a stroke.
• Lab work: Determine if your cholesterol levels are elevated placing you at higher risk
• Heart monitor: Either a holter, event, or MCT montior can help evaluate if you are having an arrythmia such as Afib that could increase your risk of stroke
• Loop recorder: If you are still having TIAs or previous monitors have found nothing, a loop recorder is a long term option. A small chip injected under the skin continually monitors your heart checking for stroke producing arrythmias.