B.E. F.A.S.T.

Balance

Look for a sudden loss of balance or coordination.

The person may unexpectedly stumble, have trouble walking, feel unusually dizzy, or need support to stand.

Ask: “Did this start suddenly? Is this different from usual?”

A person suddenly veers while walking and reaches for a nearby chair to steady themself.
A sudden new loss of balance may look like veering, stumbling, or needing support to walk.

B.E. F.A.S.T.

Eyes

Look for a sudden change in vision.

Vision may become blurred or doubled, or the person may suddenly lose sight in one or both eyes.

Ask: “Can you see clearly with both eyes? Did your vision change all at once?”

A first-person view of a bright room that gradually becomes dark across the right side.
A sudden vision change may make part of the scene seem missing or dark.

B.E. F.A.S.T.

Face

Look for one side of the face drooping or feeling numb.

The smile may look uneven.

Ask the person to smile. Compare both sides of the face.

A man attempts to smile, but one corner of his mouth remains lower than the other.
A sudden uneven smile or one-sided facial droop can be a stroke warning sign.

B.E. F.A.S.T.

Arm

Look for sudden weakness or numbness in one arm.

One arm may drift downward or be hard to keep raised.

Ask the person to raise both arms and hold them up.

A man holds both arms forward while one arm drifts noticeably lower than the other.
Sudden arm weakness may make one arm drift downward when both arms are raised.

B.E. F.A.S.T.

Speech

Listen for sudden trouble speaking or understanding.

Speech may sound slurred, confused, unusual, or difficult to understand.

Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Notice whether the words are clear and make sense.

A man tries to speak to a woman while abstract sound lines in a speech bubble break into separated dots.
Sudden trouble speaking may make familiar words sound slurred, confused, or hard to understand.

B.E. F.A.S.T.

Time to call 911

Call 911 immediately if any one of these signs appears suddenly.

Check the time the person was last known to be normal, or when the symptom was first noticed, and share that information with the emergency team.

Call even if the symptom improves or disappears. Follow the emergency dispatcher's instructions and do not delay the call while trying more tests.

The caregiver makes an urgent phone call while a wall clock is visible behind her.
If any stroke warning sign appears suddenly, call 911 immediately and note when the change began.

Section 7

Other sudden warning signs

B.E. F.A.S.T. is a memory tool, not a complete test. Other sudden symptoms can include weakness or numbness of the face, arm, or leg—especially on one side—new confusion, trouble understanding, or a severe headache with no known cause. If you think a stroke may be happening, call 911.

Section 8

Remember the action

Sudden change. Any sign. Call 911.

This page is for education and does not diagnose a stroke or replace emergency medical care.

Record

Authorship, review, and sources

Author
Morteza Modaber, M.D.
Clinical reviewer
Morteza Modaber, M.D. · exact version 0.1.0 approved 2026-07-19
Publication
Approved package imported for controlled Phase 8 review; not live