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!