Signs of a Stroke in Women and Symptoms That Give Warnings

Signs of a Stroke in Women and Symptoms That Give Warnings

A stroke is one of the most common medical emergencies from which people suffer. This medical emergency requires fast action because the blood supply to some part of the brain gets disrupted. This generally happens due to a blood clot or even a ruptured vessel. This way that affected part of the brain does not receive nutrients or oxygen. If a person doesn’t act fast, then the brain cell starts to die within minutes. Here, we will discuss about signs of a stroke in women and how to prevent a fatality.

This is why, in most cases, quick action is supposed to be taken to reduce brain damage, leading to a lot of complications. If you look at the statistics of the number of strokes happening in your country in particular and the world in general, you will be very shocked. The number is astoundingly high, even though treatments now are much more accessible.

The problem with stroke is it leaves people suffering from various kinds of disabilities. If you treat it quickly and effectively, you can prevent a fatality. Many people died due to stroke complications, and you will find that men suffer from it more. However, the percentage of women dying due to a stroke is more. This is because the signs of a stroke in women are unique. In America, one would find that stroke is one of the top five leading causes of death in women.

Causes of stroke in women

The reason why women suffer from stroke is that they tend to downplay the signs. The women tend to consider these signs as nothing but the result of a day of excessive hard work. They ignore the symptoms thinking they will go away without any hassle if they rest. Doctors also say that women suffer from strokes more than men as women live longer than men. As age is one of the risk factors for stroke, one can say women are more likely to suffer than men.

Some doctors have also found that women tend to have more high blood pressure, causing a stroke. Birth control, as well as pregnancy, also raises the chances of women getting a stroke. As you can see, there are so many unique cases in which women become more susceptible to falling prey to a stroke, so they should be aware of its different signs of a stroke in women. If they can get quick treatment, then women do not have to suffer from avoidable disabilities and deaths. It would also increase the chance of recovery.

Common symptoms of stroke for both men and women

Even before you look at the unique signs of a stroke in women, you should know the common symptoms. Make people understand that also if they raise a false alarm, and it is okay. This shows that they are aware of all the signs and take proper care to prevent deadly effects.

Some of the common symptoms of stroke that you will also find in women are as follows:

Having trouble speaking

Not talking without slurring or getting confused suddenly or finding it very difficult to understand what others say is a widespread symptom. You will find such people spacing out.

 Feeling of numbness in the face, arm, or leg

If you find someone suddenly complaining that they are feeling numb on one side of the leg, face, or arm, it may sign a stroke. Mood often than not affects only one side of the body. Your face may start drooping on one side when you try to smile on one hand fall when you try to raise both.

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Problems in vision

This is another issue as many people try to rule it out part and parcel of old age. Here you will find the patient complaining of blurred vision in one or both eyes. Some may even see double, while others cannot see anything.

Sudden severe headache

A sudden severe headache that can be accompanied by vomiting is also a sign. Many people tend to ignore this, and it can get quite intense.

Walking problems

Loss of coordination and balance is one effect of having a stroke. You may find yourself stumbling and feeling dizzy.

These are the classic symptoms of a stroke. Researchers found that women who face these symptoms are more likely to identify the indicators of a stroke. A study has found that more women than men are expected to identify these common symptoms better. However, only a handful could name all the signs. Thus, we can say that there is a lack of awareness and understanding, which leads to many issues. Early detection will always be the primary preventer of disability or death due to the lack of oxygen reaching the brain.

Signs of a stroke in women

As you can see that, there are so many common symptoms the tricky part lies with the uncommon ones. You should be aware of them so that you can take the proper steps necessary to help them out. Some of the unique signs of a stroke in women are as follows:

  • The sudden feeling of nausea or vomiting
  • Hiccups
  • Breathing problems
  • Pain in different parts of the body
  • Seizures
  • General weakness or fatigue
  • Loss of consciousness or fainting suddenly

If you look at these signs of a stroke in women, your first reaction would be to rule them out as typical signs that an overworked person would show. Indeed, if a woman shows this time, your first reaction would not be to rule it out as a stroke. This is where the real danger lies.

It is challenging to connect these symptoms immediately to stroke. Tell the women around you about these symptoms. If you are a woman and see yourself feeling unsure regarding any of the symptoms, you should contact the local emergency number. Paramedics can then help you begin the treatment as no time should be wasted in such a situation.

Same common non-traditional symptom

You are now aware of all the typical symptoms as well as the unique ones to women. But some more symptoms are not that common but occurs to both the sexes. These are labeled as odd behaviors or altered mental status by physicians. Some of these are sudden feelings of drowsiness, disorientation, and unexpected change in a person’s behavior. People also become unresponsive, hallucinated, or agitated.

Statistical findings show that women are likely to report one of these non-traditional strokes. These symptoms may be shared for both men and women. However, women face it more often than men do.

What to do when someone gets a stroke

All through the article, we have been asking you to be quick. This is the recommendation by the national stroke association, who asks you to act fast. ‘FAST’ is a way to identify if someone around you is having a stroke quickly. It is an easy and effective strategy to recognize the symptoms.

To do things the ‘FAST’ way, ask the person suffering from stroke to do the following:

F for Face

Ask the person to smile and see if their face is drooping to one side?

A for arms

Ask the person to race both of their arms above the head and see if one hand is drifting downwards.

S for speech

Ask the person to repeat any simple phrase. Check if there is speech that is suddenly sounding strange or is getting slurred?

T for time

This is where you come in; if you find any of the above symptoms, do not wait any further. Many tend to think that if they wait for a few seconds, it will go away. Any minute you spend waiting is time wasted in saving their life. Contact your local emergency number right away and get an ambulance to your place quickly. The paramedics will be able to help them.

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Under no circumstances should you think that you can drive yourself to the hospital fast if you are alone. Do not move from your place and call the emergency services. Tell them of the symptoms that you are showing. The paramedics are equipped to handle the situation, and if you drive yourself, you will not get medical attention available in an ambulance. It is a very delicate situation, so put your faith in the medical practitioners.

You’ll be taken to a hospital where the doctor will look at your symptoms and ask for your medical history. Of physical examination and other necessary diagnostic tests will be conducted before the doctor makes the diagnosis.

How to prevent strokes in the future?

You now are aware of the fact of how disproportionately stroke affects women; their symptoms are even more. It has also been found that they are to receive inferior treatment to men. The delay in their stroke diagnosis causes is mostly the cause of this negligence. This is why you should be aware of how to keep yourself fit. Having a good lifestyle is one way to prevent stroke in the future. Some of the things that you can do to to keep yourself fit are as follows:

  • Do not intake tobacco
  • Do not do drugs
  • Exercise regularly
  • Go to a dietitian and fix a proper meal plan
  • Give yourself leisure time. You can do yoga on knitting, which is a brilliant way to reduce stress in daily life.
  • Pregnant women auto monitor the blood pressure levels during and even after childbirth.
  • If you are a woman over the age of 75, you should go for an AFib screening.
  • If you want to take birth control pills, it is better to visit the doctor first and screen for high BP.

Noticing warning signs

As you can see, the signs of a stroke in women are not very easy to discern. Many symptoms are considered to be part and parcel of a typical tiresome day. This is why many women disregard the sin and suffer from disabilities and even death due to the stroke. This article will help you be aware of the science that you can take fast action.

As you have understood by now, you may find the women around you disregarding the symptoms like excruciating headaches. Some might even dismiss the fact that they had to have a problem walking or suffering from exhaustion. The women may blame these symptoms for getting overworked, and that is where this knowledge will help you be proactive.

Doctors are now doing specialized training to teach the hospital staff to recognize these symptoms. Ambulances are advised to warn the hospital as the symptoms are the same as many common effects of a busy day. Some of them take into consideration that even though the symptoms between men and women are the same, women are more likely to minimize the effects of the symptoms. They are less likely to call a doctor or 911. It has often been found that a woman suffering from a stroke has tried to drive herself to the hospital as she did not know the severity of the symptoms she was showing.

Conclusion

If you notice any of the signs of a stroke in women, you will warn them. Is also passes on this knowledge to others to be proactive and take the necessary precautionary steps. In a stroke, you always have to take fast action as it can be a matter of life and death. Do not let the women around you suffer from such a terrible fate and take the necessary steps to educate them regarding the symptoms.

Not only will this help you in recognizing the symptoms, but also take the right steps to prevent such terrible things to happen. We also understand that recovering from a stroke varies from person to person. For many, physical therapy is useful and can heal within months, while others can take much more time.

Sometimes, the recovery period also depends on how fast people had acted when they were suffering from a stroke. This is why knowledge cannot be ignored; everyone should be aware of it. This is also why nobody should take any symptoms lightly and develop healthy habits to combat such mishaps.