GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Few medical conditions are as dangerous as a stroke.

Stroke is a hemorrhage in the brain and can kill or leave someone facing years of rehabilitation.

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VIDEO: 4 Your Health Special: Symptoms of Stroke

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Because of the danger, it is important to recognize the symptoms as soon as possible.

Remembering one word can be the key.

The word is FAST.

It's an acronym for Face, Arms, Speech and Time. Those four things are quick checks to evaluate if a person is suffering from a stroke.

Face: Has movement or expression one side of the face changed? Have the person talk to see if their face moves equally.

Arms: Are they functioning? Have the person raise them and see if one arm drops or seems impaired.

Speech: Can the person get words out and speak without slurring? Again, have the person try to talk.

Time: Evaluating and beginning treatment of a stroke quickly can mean the difference between death or catastrophic disability and reclaiming health or nearly full recovery.

"FAST kind of narrows these things down, gives folks an easy term to remember and one that's reproducible," neurologist Gregory Gardziola told WYFF News 4's Carol Goldsmith.

Irene Worden had a stroke in the middle of the night in June 2007.

Her husband said he knew right away what was happening. The "S" in FAST gave it away.

"I went in to the bedroom...and as soon as she spoke...I knew that she'd had a stroke," David Worden told WYFF News 4's Carol Goldsmith. "She was lying face down, so I couldn't see her face, but her voice was very distorted. It was instantly clear she'd had a stroke."

David Worden covered his wife in a blanket and called 911.

"Boiling Springs EMS was there within 10 seconds, carting me off to the hospital," Irene Worden said. "Thank God. Thank God."

With heart attack, doctors talk about the "Golden Hour," that period of time right after a heart attack when damage can be stopped and contained.

With stroke, the time frame is three hours.

"The sooner you get there, the sooner I figure out if it's a stroke or not," Gardziola said. "The sooner you get (stroke-treating drug) TPA, the sooner you get a really good outcome."

Irene Worden said that she has come a long way in her recovery, but still struggles with short-term memory. She said that she's getting stronger every day and is glad to be alive.

She said that she is also glad that her husband heard her voice and acted FAST.