Improve YOUR stroke awareness---The first step is to recognize stroke symptoms. In a recent National Stroke Association poll, 30 percent of women could not recognize stroke symptoms. Even more men, 36 percent, were not able to identify one stroke symptom.

Remember to think FAST when you see stroke:
F—Face
A—Arms
S—Speech
T—Time
Recognize and treat stroke as an emergency.

Stroke symptoms include:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm, or leg—especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden severe headache with no known causes

A new study reports up to 62 percent of women were more likely than men to describe unique stroke symptoms including: face and limb pain, hiccups, nausea, general weakness, chest pain, shortness of breath, and palpitations.