The stroke signs named by the World Stroke Organization, CDC and the NHS, what they say to do, and why the first minutes matter, for World Stroke Day on 29 October.
The World Stroke Organization’s FAST check names three stroke signs: one side of the face drooping, an arm that cannot be raised, and difficulty speaking or slurred speech; the fourth letter, Time, means calling an ambulance and saying it is a stroke (World Stroke Day poster, 2025 edition, read 23 October 2026). The NHS says a stroke needs urgent medical help in hospital because it can be life-threatening (read 23 October 2026).
World Stroke Day is on 29 October, and its theme is “Every M1nute Counts” (campaign page, read 23 October 2026). This page lists the signs the sources name and what they say to do. It does not tell you whether a person is having a stroke, and it prints no phone number.
In short: call an ambulance or go to the nearest emergency department now. CDC and the NHS both say not to drive yourself, and the NHS says to get help even if the signs have stopped.
Last checked: 23 October 2026, on the pages listed under Sources. Guidance changes, so confirm it on those pages.
What are the signs of a stroke?
The World Stroke Organization’s poster lists three signs and one action. CDC, on a page updated on 19 May 2026, asks about the same three as things to ask the person to do, and its BE FAST version adds balance and eyesight (both read 23 October 2026).
| Letter | World Stroke Organization | CDC |
|---|---|---|
| F: Face | One side of the face is drooping. | Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop? |
| A: Arm | Arm weakness: the person cannot raise their arms. | Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward? |
| S: Speech | Difficulty speaking, slurred speech. | Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is the speech slurred or strange? |
| T: Time | Call an ambulance and say it is a stroke. | Call emergency services right away, and note the time when any symptoms first appear. |
Wording shortened from each source, read 23 October 2026. CDC’s US emergency number is left out.
CDC also lists these as sudden signs (page updated 19 May 2026):
- trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or lack of coordination;
- trouble seeing;
- numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body;
- confusion, trouble speaking or difficulty understanding speech;
- a severe headache with no known cause.
The NHS list (page reviewed 12 September 2024, read 23 October 2026) names the same kinds of signs and adds memory loss and feeling or being sick. If you see any of these signs, call an ambulance or go to the nearest emergency department now.
What should I do if I think someone is having a stroke?
The World Stroke Organization’s poster says Time is “to call an ambulance and say it’s a stroke.” CDC and the NHS give the same instruction in their own words (all read 23 October 2026). Between them they add three points:
- Call even if the signs stop. The NHS says to call if you think you are having, or have had, a stroke, and also if you had signs within the last 24 hours that have now stopped. It says to get medical help straight away.
- Note the time. CDC says to note the time when any symptoms first appear.
- Do not drive. CDC says not to drive to the hospital or let someone else drive you, and to call for an ambulance so that medical staff can begin treatment on the way. The NHS says not to drive yourself to the emergency department.
Why do the first minutes matter?
The NHS says a stroke is when blood stops flowing to a part of the brain. The World Stroke Organization’s World Stroke Day 2026 page says time lost is brain lost, and that seeking emergency care as soon as symptoms are spotted saves lives (both read 23 October 2026).
Between them, CDC says to call right away, the NHS says to call now, and the World Stroke Organization says to seek emergency care as soon as symptoms are spotted. None of them gives a time you can wait, and this page gives none.
The scale is large: the World Health Organization says stroke was the second leading cause of death worldwide in 2023, responsible for about 11% (6.8 million) of deaths (fact sheet, read 23 October 2026).
In Egypt: what is the picture?
Arabic has more than one name for this. The State Information Service writes «السكتة الدماغية», and in everyday Arabic people also say «جلطة في المخ» or «الجلطة الدماغية». This page uses the English term stroke for what its sources describe.
On 24 February 2026, the State Information Service reported that the Minister of Health and Population, Dr. Khaled Abdelghaffar, met the Higher Committee of the National Stroke Network. He called the network one of the most prominent projects for developing the health system, and said every new or upgraded hospital will include a specialised stroke unit (read 23 October 2026).
That describes policy, not where a stroke unit is today, and this page cannot tell you which hospital near you has one. Call an ambulance or go to the nearest emergency department.
Can a page or an app tell me if it is a stroke?
No. A list of signs is not a diagnosis, and whether a person is having a stroke is for the emergency team to say. Medigize’s own limits are in what a navigation tool can and cannot do. For which doctor to see when it is not an emergency, see every patient journey starts with a question.
Frequently asked questions
What are the signs of a stroke?
The World Stroke Organization names one side of the face drooping, an arm that cannot be raised, and difficulty speaking or slurred speech (poster, 2025 edition, read 23 October 2026).
What does FAST stand for?
Face, Arm, Speech, Time. Time means calling an ambulance and saying it is a stroke (World Stroke Organization, read 23 October 2026).
Should I drive someone with these signs to hospital myself?
CDC says no, and to call for an ambulance. The NHS says not to drive yourself to the emergency department (both read 23 October 2026).
What if the signs go away?
The NHS says to get medical help straight away if you had signs within the last 24 hours, even if they have stopped (read 23 October 2026).
Medigize is a non-diagnostic navigation tool. This is general information, not medical advice. In an emergency, call an ambulance or go to the nearest emergency department.
Sources
- World Stroke Organization: World Stroke Day campaign page (theme and date), read 23 October 2026
- World Stroke Organization: World Stroke Day 2026 page, read 23 October 2026
- World Stroke Organization: “Know the signs of stroke”, Act FAST poster (PDF, 2025 edition), read 23 October 2026
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): signs and symptoms of stroke (page updated 19 May 2026), read 23 October 2026
- NHS: stroke symptoms (page reviewed 12 September 2024), read 23 October 2026
- NHS: stroke, read 23 October 2026
- World Health Organization: the top 10 causes of death (data for 2023), read 23 October 2026
- State Information Service (Egypt): the Minister of Health meets the National Stroke Network’s Higher Committee (24 February 2026, in Arabic), read 23 October 2026
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