Chest pain, trouble breathing, sudden weakness on one side, a fit or heavy bleeding needs help now, not an appointment.

112Any emergency108Ambulance102Pregnancy and newborn
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Brain, fits and fainting

Suspected stroke

Also called stroke, lakwa, brain attack, face droop, slurred speech

Call 112 or 108 first, then start. Put the phone on speaker so the operator can talk you through every step while your hands stay free.

What you are dealing with

Sudden weakness or drooping on one side, or sudden trouble speaking. Treatment that reverses a stroke only works within a few hours, so time is the whole battle.

Do this, in this order

  1. Check FAST. Face, ask them to smile and look for drooping. Arms, ask them to raise both and see if one drifts down. Speech, ask them to repeat a sentence. Time, act immediately if any of these fail.
  2. Note the exact clock time they were last completely normal. The hospital will ask, and the answer decides the treatment.
  3. Call 112 or 108 and say the word stroke, so they take the person to a hospital that can treat it.
  4. Lay them on their side with the head slightly raised, and keep them still and reassured.
  5. Loosen tight clothing and stay with them until the ambulance arrives.

Never do this

  • Do not give food, water or any tablet by mouth. Swallowing is often unsafe after a stroke.
  • Do not wait to see if it passes. Symptoms that clear up within minutes still need emergency assessment the same day.
  • Do not give aspirin, because some strokes are caused by bleeding and aspirin makes those worse.
  • Do not massage the limbs or try any home remedy.

Call an ambulance if

  • Any single FAST sign is enough. Call immediately, even at night, even if they insist they are fine.
Call 112 nowCall 108 ambulance

After the emergency

Get it looked at properly

First aid buys time, it does not finish the job. Most of these situations need a doctor to check what happened, prevent infection, and decide whether anything more is needed.

Consult a doctorCheck a symptom instead

Get care for this

Doctors and care for suspected stroke

Verified Teleprac doctors you can see online or in a clinic, lab tests with home sample collection, and genuine medicines delivered to your door.

See all first aid topics

Important. This page is general first aid education and cannot replace a hands on first aid course or professional emergency care. Techniques taught by the Indian Red Cross, St John Ambulance and similar bodies are worth a single day of your life. In an emergency, call 112 or 108 first and follow what the operator tells you, because they can see your location and know what is on the way.

Call 112 Ambulance 108

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Emergency numbers in India

Save these in your phone now, not when you need them. Tap any number to call it.

112Any emergencyOne number for police, fire and ambulance across India108AmbulanceFree emergency ambulance in most states and union territories102Pregnancy and newbornAmbulance for mothers and babies in most states14416Mental health supportTele MANAS, free counselling every hour of the day, many languages1800 116 117Poisoning or overdoseNational Poisons Information Centre, AIIMS New Delhi1098Child in distressChildline India, free and confidential

Where to read more

Public health sources written for patients rather than for doctors, and kept up to date.

Ministry of Health and Family WelfareOfficial Indian health programmes, advisories and public guidanceWorld Health Organization health topicsGlobal fact sheets written for the public, on hundreds of topicsNHS health A to ZPlain language pages on symptoms, conditions, tests and treatmentsMedlinePlusPatient information from the United States National Library of MedicineTele MANASIndia's national mental health support service, free and available all day

Important: Everything in Teleprac patient resources is general health education. It does not give you a diagnosis and it cannot replace examination by a qualified doctor, because it does not know your age, your reports, your pregnancy or the other medicines you take. Please do not start, stop or change any medicine on your own. Teleprac Healthcare is not liable for decisions made on the basis of this information. In an emergency, call your local emergency number or go to the nearest hospital immediately.