The NHS is urging people to make themselves aware of certain symptoms that “might not seem like much” but should still prompt a 999 call. A social media post from the health service’s official account is telling people when it “is time to call 999”.
The warning comes as around 100,000 people have strokes each year in the UK alone – more than 11 every hour. There are 1.3 million stroke survivors in the UK, and urgent medical care is vital.
Brain Research UK says the impact of stroke is devastating. It adds: “It is the fourth single leading cause of death in the UK, and the single biggest cause of severe disability, associated with a broader range of disabilities than any other condition.”
An NHS post on X reads: “The first sign of a stroke might not seem like much. Like – not being able to raise your arm. Or struggling to smile. Or slurring when you speak. Any sign of a stroke is always an emergency. Face or arm or speech, at the first sign, it’s time to call 999.”
Lesser-known stroke symptoms also include weakness or numbness down one side of the body, blurred vision or loss of sight in one or both eyes, finding it difficult to speak or think of words, confusion and memory loss, feeling dizzy or falling over, and a severe headache.