Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Strokes and Women

My grandmother died a few months ago from a stroke, so I take it seriously. (Did you know that one-quarter of women who have a stroke are under 65?) I also know that women's stroke symptoms differ from men's, and often aren't 'traditional' signs. And that leads to the big question, what are the signs of a stroke, and what are the signs of a woman's stroke? (Keep in mind that most people only mention a few of these symptoms!)

The short answer with graphic is a good start, and the long answer only adds a few more points. I'll summarize.

The classic symptoms of a stroke are:

  • sudden numbness, weakness, or paralysis of face, arm, or leg (usually on one side of the body)
  • sudden difficulty speaking or understanding speech
  • sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes (blurry, double, or decreased vision)
  • sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or loss of coordination
  • sudden confusion, trouble talking, or understanding speech
  • sudden problems with memory, spatial orientation, or perception
  • sudden severe or unusual headache with no known cause, possibly accompanied by a stiff neck, facial pain, pain between your eyes, vomiting or altered consciousness

Women may also report these stroke symptoms:

  • sudden face, chest, arm, or leg pain
  • seizure
  • sudden hiccups
  • sudden nausea (feeling sick to your stomach)
  • sudden tiredness
  • loss of consciousness or fainting
  • sudden shortness of breath (feeling like you can’t get enough air)
  • sudden pounding or racing heartbeat
  • falls or accidents

So the next question is, What should you do? The answer is, Act F.A.S.T.

F

Face

Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?

A

Arms

Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

S

Speech

Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Are the words slurred (if repeated correctly at all)?

T

Time

Call 911 for these symptoms (yes answers above) because immediate treatment makes a huge difference!

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