Your Heart, Your Life: A Community Health Worker's Manual for the Hispanic Community

Session 4 Handout Know the Stroke Signs. Act Quickly.

Download Know the Stroke Signs. Act Quickly. (27k) handout.

A stroke happens when blood suddenly stops going to the brain and brain cells die. A stroke is very serious and can lead to disability and death.

Signs of a stroke:

• Numbness of the face, arm, or leg (especially on one side of the body)
• Confusion, trouble talking, and difficulty understanding others
• Trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Trouble walking, dizziness, and loss of balance or coordination
• Severe headache

A Stroke Is Serious. Every Second Counts.

• Learn the stroke signs and teach them to your family and friends.
• Call 9–1–1 immediately if you have any of these stroke warning signs.
• Treatment can reduce the risk of damage from a stroke. You must get help within 3 hours of your first symptoms.

Adapted from the American Stroke Association, “Let's Talk About Risk Factors for Stroke.” 1999–2003. A division of the American Heart Association

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Information on this page is taken from the English print version of “Your Heart, Your Life, A Community Health Worker's Manual.” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, NIH Publication No. 08-3674, Originally Printed 1999, Revised May 2008.

Last Updated March 2012