What are the warning signs of a stroke?

A stroke happens when part of your brain is not getting enough blood and stops working. Depending on the part of the brain that is damaged, a stroke can cause

• Sudden weakness or numbness of your face, arm, or leg on one side of your body.
• Sudden confusion, trouble talking, or trouble understanding.
• Sudden dizziness, loss of balance, or trouble walking.
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes or sudden double vision.
• Sudden severe headache.

Sometimes, one or more of these warning signs may happen and then disappear. You might be having a "mini-stroke," also called a TIA (transient [TRAN-see-unt] ischemic [is-KEE-mik] attack). If you have any of these warning signs, tell your doctor right away.