Strokes tend to be painless.  So when symptoms develop, such as numbness of extremities or slurred speech, there is a tendency to sit around the house waiting and hoping the symptoms go away.  But there's a problem.  Time is brain.  For every minute you sit around hoping for the painless symptoms to go away, you are wasting critical mintues that may be needed for treatment that may save you life.  Here are the common Stroke symptoms and action steps you can take to determine what you should do:

Symptom:  Numbness or weakness in the face.

Action step:  Ask the person to smile.  If one side of the face droops or the person can't smile, it may mean a stroke.  Call 911.

Symptom:  Muscle weakness.

Action step:  Ask the person to raise both arms.  If one arm drifts down or can't be raised, it may mean stroke.  Call 911.

Symptom:  Difficulty speaking.

Action step:  Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence.  If the speech is slurred or hard to understand, or the person has trouble remembering the words to repeat, it may mean stroke.  Call 911.