The warning signs of stroke are:

• Sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm and leg on one side of the body.
• Loss of speech, or trouble talking or understanding speech.
• Dimness or loss of vision, particularly in only one eye.
• Unexplained dizziness, unsteadiness or sudden falls.
• "Temporary strokes" (transient ischemic attacks or TIAs). These can occur days, weeks or even months before a major stroke. TIAs result when a blood clot temporarily clogs an artery and part of the brain does not get the supply of blood it needs. The symptoms occur rapidly and last a relatively short period of time, usually from a few minutes to several hours. The usual symptoms are like those of a full-fledged stroke, except that the symptoms of a TIA are temporary, lasting 24 hours or less. In fact, people who have had TIAs are 9.5 times more likely to have a stroke than people of the same age and sex who have not had a TIA.