A Brain Scientist's Insight

Dr. Oz says there are three basic things you should check for if you see someone experiencing what might be a stroke.

The first thing Dr. Oz says to do is ask the person to smile. Next, tell the person to put their hands up. "If you can do both, it means that your brain is completely intact on the top part. Also, it means that you understand what we're asking you to do and you're trying to cooperate."

The third thing Dr. Oz says to check for is whether the person can repeat a basic sentence. Dr. Oz gives the example, "Jill is beautiful." "If you can say that back, that means that you understood it and that your language center is intact," he says. "That's a very quick way of screening for the basic strokes that we worry about.

If you think someone is showing the signs of a stroke, call 911 and get help immediately. "If you get to a stroke center within three hours, they can pump medication into you that will bust the blood clot and then you will have less debilitation after the fact," Jill says.