Know stroke and heart attack signs
Spotting the signs and calling an ambulance in the first minutes protects brain and heart muscle.
The number, drawn
Clot-busting stroke medicine is given within 4.5 hours of symptoms starting; clot removal up to 24 hours for some
Why it matters
Stroke and heart attack destroy tissue minute by minute. CDC says every minute counts in a stroke, and UK NICE guidance gives clot-busting medicine within 4.5 hours of symptoms starting and clot removal for selected people up to 24 hours, so never wait to see whether it passes or assume it is too late. The chances of surviving a heart attack are also better the sooner emergency treatment begins. Knowing the signs and calling an ambulance, instead of driving yourself or waiting, is what makes early treatment possible.
How to do it
- Learn FAST for stroke: face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty, time to call for help. CDC adds sudden balance or vision changes.
- Learn heart attack signs: chest pressure or pain, pain spreading to jaw, neck, back, arms or shoulders, shortness of breath, cold sweat, feeling faint.
- Know that unusual tiredness, nausea or vomiting are also heart attack signs, and that women are more likely to have these.
- Call your emergency number straight away: 999 in the UK, 911 in the US, 112 anywhere in the EU. Do not drive yourself.
- Note the time symptoms started, and call even if stroke signs have already stopped within the last 24 hours.
This item is about acting fast, not treating anything yourself. Follow the emergency operator's instructions, and do not assume aspirin advice from another country applies to you.
Do it
Pick the time you have. Anything beats nothing.
Start with the time you have
1 minute
Learn FAST: face drooping, arm weakness, speech trouble, time to call. If signs are happening now, call emergency services now.
5 minutes
Save your emergency number (112 in the EU, 999 in the UK, 911 in the US) and learn heart attack signs: chest pain or pressure, breathlessness, cold sweat.
15 minutes
If nobody has symptoms, rehearse with someone what you would say: your location, the signs and when they began. Never make a test call.
A plan
Prepare to act without delay
- Learn the stroke and heart attack signs and your local emergency number.
- Tell someone close to you that suspected symptoms mean an immediate ambulance call.
- If symptoms occur, call at once, note the onset time if known and follow the operator; do not drive yourself.
In real life
- If someone suddenly slurs their words or their face droops, call an ambulance immediately.
- If chest pressure comes with breathlessness or a cold sweat, call emergency services instead of driving yourself.
Watch out for
- Common mistakeSymptoms that fade can still be urgent, so call for help even if stroke signs have stopped.
- Common mistakeWaiting to be certain delays care, so call immediately for suspected stroke or heart attack and follow the operator.
Trusted guides
In Czechia
In Czechia, call 155, the national medical emergency number, or 112.
In Germany, call 112 when life is at risk. 116117 reaches the out-of-hours medical on-call service for urgent problems that are not life-threatening.
In Spain, the Ministry of Health says to call the emergency number 112 directly in an imminent life-threatening emergency.
Ministerio de Sanidad checked
In the Netherlands, call 112 for urgent help, for example when someone urgently needs medical help or in a life-threatening situation.
Rijksoverheid checked
In Poland, call 999 for an ambulance or 112, the emergency number used across the EU.
Pacjent.gov.pl checked
In Ukraine, the Public Health Center teaches the МОЗОК mnemonic for stroke signs and says to call an ambulance on 103 immediately if you notice even one of them.
Check usSources
- Evidence grade
- A Meta-analyses of randomised trials, or a major guideline consensus.
- Basis
- CDC and NHS emergency guidance on recognizing stroke and heart attack
- The number
- Clot-busting stroke medicine is given within 4.5 hours of symptoms starting; clot removal up to 24 hours for some (NICE, 2022)
- Tier 1 guidelineSigns and Symptoms of StrokeCDC, 2026
- Tier 1 guidelineSymptoms of a strokeNHS, 2024
- Tier 1 guidelineAbout Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and RecoveryCDC, 2024
- Tier 1 guideline112, the EU emergency phone numberEuropean Commission, 2026
- Tier 1 guidelineStroke and transient ischaemic attack in over 16s: diagnosis and initial management (NG128): RecommendationsNICE, 2022
General health information, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment plan. Personalization changes the order of suggestions; it does not assess your medical risks. Follow the cautions and consult a qualified clinician when needed.