Physical Weakness Strokes can cause sudden weakness in one or both sides of the body. This weakness varies in severity and can present as: Facial drooping, drooling, or speech difficulty due to weakened facial muscles. Suddenly not being able to grip or hold on to things. Difficulty walking. Leaning to one side when walking or needing to lean on a wall for support when standing. Collapsing as one side of the body cannot support your weight. Incoordination of Movements Another sign of stroke is trouble standing, walking, performing delicate tasks, or suddenly requiring assistance to do so. Some other signs are: Difficulty coordinating movement e.g. not being able to position your body smoothly or as intended. Stumbling or sudden clumsiness. Loss of balance. Refer to the Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy fact sheets for more information. Sensation Numbness Strokes can result in having reduced or a complete loss of sensation over one side or specific parts of your body. For example, you may feel like your right arm and leg are not there or that they are detached from your body. Alternatively, you may experience abnormal feelings over one side of your body such as tingling, coldness, or an electric sensation. Unwellness Other Physical Symptoms Sudden unexplainable nausea or vomiting. Dizziness or feeling like the room is spinning (vertigo). Severe headache, often described as “the worst headache imaginable” or pain that is so bad you cannot think clearly. Vision Visual Impairment Strokes often cause issues with vision, such as: Double vision. Complete/partial loss of vision or blind spots in one or both visual fields. Fuzziness or obstructions in your visual field e.g. a patch in the centre of your view. Communication Slurring of Speech (Dysarthria) Suffering a stroke may cause difficulty in articulating words. This may cause speech to be unclear, slow, or soft. In dysarthria, speech muscles are affected and prevent clear and coherent speech even if you know what you want to say. Language Impairment (Aphasia) Strokes can affect the parts of your brain responsible for understanding and expressing language. This can result in: Difficulty understanding what others are saying to you. Sudden inability to read, write, or spell (e.g. not being able to make sense of words in your surroundings). Inability to name objects despite recognising them. Substituting words or using words that don’t exist. Only being able to speak in short, disjointed sentences. Refer to the Speech Therapy fact sheet for more information.

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Stroke: Signs and Symptoms

Every minute counts when it comes to stroke. Learn about the signs and symptoms of stroke in this article.

Article last reviewed 27 August 2026
6 mins read

Act F.A.S.T.

No two strokes are the same. The specific signs and symptoms depend on the area of damage in the brain. However, there are three common signs of stroke that should prompt you to call 995 immediately if even one of them is observed:

Examples of Face Drooping

One side of the mouth not moving when smiling (asymmetrical smile).
Drooling or difficulty speaking clearly due to muscle weakness.
Smooth forehead or lack of wrinkles on only one side of the face.
Feeling like you cannot feel or move one half of your face, or that it is weak.

Examples of Arm Weakness

One arm drifting downward, drooping, or unable to be lifted when raising both arms.
Sudden difficulty gripping or picking up items with one hand but not the other.

Examples of Speech Difficulty

Slurred or unclear speech.
Sudden inability to express yourself verbally (e.g. not being able to name objects).
Sudden inability to understand speech or writing.

Signs and Symptoms

When to See Doctor

Not all signs must be present to indicate a stroke. Seeing just one of the three key symptoms (Face Drooping, Arm Weakness, or Speech Difficulty) means that it is Time to call 995. Signs and symptoms of stroke can also differ based on the type of stroke and which part of the brain it affects.

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Physical	Weakness Strokes can cause sudden weakness in one or both sides of the body. This weakness varies in severity and can present as: Facial drooping, drooling, or speech difficulty due to weakened facial muscles. Suddenly not being able to grip or hold on to things. Difficulty walking. Leaning to one side when walking or needing to lean on a wall for support when standing. Collapsing as one side of the body cannot support your weight. Incoordination of Movements Another sign of stroke is trouble standing, walking, performing delicate tasks, or suddenly requiring assistance to do so. Some other signs are: Difficulty coordinating movement e.g. not being able to position your body smoothly or as intended. Stumbling or sudden clumsiness. Loss of balance. Refer to the Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy fact sheets for more information.
Sensation	Numbness Strokes can result in having reduced or a complete loss of sensation over one side or specific parts of your body. For example, you may feel like your right arm and leg are not there or that they are detached from your body. Alternatively, you may experience abnormal feelings over one side of your body such as tingling, coldness, or an electric sensation.
Unwellness	Other Physical Symptoms Sudden unexplainable nausea or vomiting. Dizziness or feeling like the room is spinning (vertigo). Severe headache, often described as “the worst headache imaginable” or pain that is so bad you cannot think clearly.
Vision	Visual Impairment Strokes often cause issues with vision, such as: Double vision. Complete/partial loss of vision or blind spots in one or both visual fields. Fuzziness or obstructions in your visual field e.g. a patch in the centre of your view.
Communication	Slurring of Speech (Dysarthria) Suffering a stroke may cause difficulty in articulating words. This may cause speech to be unclear, slow, or soft. In dysarthria, speech muscles are affected and prevent clear and coherent speech even if you know what you want to say. Language Impairment (Aphasia) Strokes can affect the parts of your brain responsible for understanding and expressing language. This can result in: Difficulty understanding what others are saying to you. Sudden inability to read, write, or spell (e.g. not being able to make sense of words in your surroundings). Inability to name objects despite recognising them. Substituting words or using words that don’t exist. Only being able to speak in short, disjointed sentences. Refer to the Speech Therapy fact sheet for more information.