# Know stroke and heart attack signs Published by Pawel Jozefiak. [About this project](https://healthy100.jock.pl/about/), [How we check sources](https://healthy100.jock.pl/methodology/) - Canonical: https://healthy100.jock.pl/act-fast-on-stroke-signs/ - Language: en - First published: 2026-09-27 - Evidence checked: 2026-09-28, using AI-assisted source verification - Clinical review: Not clinically reviewed - Number 19 of 100 in the list: https://healthy100.jock.pl/#act-fast-on-stroke-signs Spotting the signs and calling an ambulance in the first minutes protects brain and heart muscle. **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](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng128/chapter/Recommendations)) ## The evidence - Evidence grade: A. Grade A: meta-analyses of randomised trials, or a major guideline consensus. - Basis: CDC and NHS emergency guidance on recognizing stroke and heart attack - Impact: 76/100. The impact score is an editorial prioritization heuristic for the general list, not a validated estimate of your personal risk. ## 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 1. Learn FAST for stroke: face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty, time to call for help. CDC adds sudden balance or vision changes. 2. Learn heart attack signs: chest pressure or pain, pain spreading to jaw, neck, back, arms or shoulders, shortness of breath, cold sweat, feeling faint. 3. Know that unusual tiredness, nausea or vomiting are also heart attack signs, and that women are more likely to have these. 4. Call your emergency number straight away: 999 in the UK, 911 in the US, 112 anywhere in the EU. Do not drive yourself. 5. Note the time symptoms started, and call even if stroke signs have already stopped within the last 24 hours. ## Talk to a clinician first 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. ## Putting it into practice ### Start now - 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. ### What it looks like - 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. ### Common mistakes - Symptoms that fade can still be urgent, so call for help even if stroke signs have stopped. - Waiting to be certain delays care, so call immediately for suspected stroke or heart attack and follow the operator. ### A structured start **Prepare to act without delay** 1. Learn the stroke and heart attack signs and your local emergency number. 2. Tell someone close to you that suspected symptoms mean an immediate ambulance call. 3. If symptoms occur, call at once, note the onset time if known and follow the operator; do not drive yourself. ### Trusted how-to guides - [Symptoms of a stroke](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stroke/symptoms/), NHS - [About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery](https://www.cdc.gov/heart-disease/about/heart-attack.html), CDC ## In Czechia In Czechia, call 155, the national medical emergency number, or 112. [Národní zdravotnický informační portál (NZIP)](https://www.nzip.cz/clanek/205-zdravotnicka-zachranna-sluzba), checked 2026-09-28 ## In Germany 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. [Bundesministerium für Gesundheit, gesund.bund.de](https://gesund.bund.de/notfallnummern), checked 2026-09-28 ## In Spain In Spain, the Ministry of Health says to call the emergency number 112 directly in an imminent life-threatening emergency. [Ministerio de Sanidad](https://www.sanidad.gob.es/linea024/home.htm), checked 2026-09-28 ## In Netherlands In the Netherlands, call 112 for urgent help, for example when someone urgently needs medical help or in a life-threatening situation. [Rijksoverheid](https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/vraag-en-antwoord/alarmnummer-112/wanneer-112-bellen), checked 2026-09-28 ## In Poland In Poland, call 999 for an ambulance or 112, the emergency number used across the EU. [Pacjent.gov.pl](https://pacjent.gov.pl/pogotowie-i-numer-alarmowy), checked 2026-09-28 ## In Ukraine 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. [Центр громадського здоров’я МОЗ України](https://phc.org.ua/news/popered-rozpiznay-vryatuy-algoritm-diy-pri-pershikh-oznakakh-insultu-ta-pravila-profilaktiki), checked 2026-09-28 ## Sources - [Signs and Symptoms of Stroke](https://www.cdc.gov/stroke/signs-symptoms/index.html), CDC, 2026 (Tier 1 guideline) - [Symptoms of a stroke](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stroke/symptoms/), NHS, 2024 (Tier 1 guideline) - [About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery](https://www.cdc.gov/heart-disease/about/heart-attack.html), CDC, 2024 (Tier 1 guideline) - [112, the EU emergency phone number](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/112), European Commission, 2026 (Tier 1 guideline) - [Stroke and transient ischaemic attack in over 16s: diagnosis and initial management (NG128): Recommendations](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng128/chapter/Recommendations), NICE, 2022 (Tier 1 guideline) --- 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. Report an error: meet@jock.pl Reuse: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/