Signs of Stroke in Women - They May Not Be What You Expect

You may or may not know the warning symptoms of a stroke. If you do know the classic signs, there is a good chance you don't know how stroke sometimes manifests itself in women.

If all you know are the classic signs of stroke, you don't know enough.

Recent research has shown that the classic symptoms of stroke may not always be the symptoms women experience. Women may complain of different symptoms than men when entering and emergency room. Often, the symptoms women complain about are different from the list and because of the discrepancy, women are more apt to be checked for something other than a stroke. This wastes valuable time during which they could be receiving important and necessary treatments. Many women do have traditional symptoms so it is best not to assume they aren't having a stroke because their signs are classic. It is important to recognize both the classic signs of stroke as well as the signs that may present themselves in the female gender exclusively.

The classic stroke symptoms:

weakness or numbness, especially in one side of the body

difficulty speaking or the inability to speak

blurred or double vision

dizziness, loss of balance and coordination

confusion, memory impairment and spatial perception

sudden and severe headache

Other Possible Signs of Stroke in Women:

falls or accidents

seizure

Sudden:

pain in the face, arms, chest or legs

nausea

tiredness

heart palpitations

hiccups

How well a patient recovers from stroke depends on how quickly they are treated. The first three hours after the onset of a stroke are the optimal time for receiving the best clot busting drugs. The diagnosis of a stroke within that time is crucial and may determine whether a person lives or recovers.

This is yet another area of concern involving women and variations of symptoms. Women are known to have different complaints when it comes to heart attack as well.

Because of the ignorance about women's distinct differences involving major health issues such as heart attack and stroke, the mortality rate for women is higher than it has to be. We can lower the numbers by increasing awareness.