A stroke, also known as a cerebrovascular accident or CVA, occurs when blood circulation to an area of the brain is interrupted, as in a blood clot (ischemic stroke) or a ruptured vessel in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke). The resulting decrease in oxygen causes brain cells to start dying. According to the American Heart Association, almost 700, 000 Americans annually have a stroke; and, over 20 percent of these end in death. Women experience strokes more often than men, and as with heart attacks, women have a higher death rate and may display non-classical signs that differ from men's signs.
Shared Symptoms
The classic five warning signs of a stroke are the shared symptoms that have been observed in both genders. Therefore, the traditional signs for both men and women are: sudden onset of numbness or weakness, usually on one side of the body, and at the sites of the face, arm(s) or lower extremities (leg); the sudden onset of mental confusion or alternately, impaired speech or inability to comprehend meaning of speech by others, that is, problems with speech that were not present previously; the onset of a sudden and major headache; a sudden onset of difficulty with vision; and lastly, problems with ambulation (walking), maintaining one's balance or coordination, as well as the possible symptom of dizziness.
Atypical Symptoms
Women may report vague or unique symptoms that are not immediately or commonly associated with the occurrence of a CVA. Some of the non-classical symptoms that women suddenly may experience include: hiccups or nausea, chest pain and shortness of breath, as well as fatigue. Other signs associated with women are the reporting of a pain in the regions of the arms, legs or in the face; again, such symptoms typically occur on one side of the body. However, the most frequent disturbances observed among women, that occurred exclusive of any of the classical signs were fainting, seizures, pain and breathing problems.
Other Factors
It has been suggested that perhaps women have more precipitating risk factors than men, which in turn, increases their vulnerability to a having a CVA. Examples of such factors are high cholesterol, hypertension, atherosclerosis and belly fat. These factors are known to be specific risk factors for strokes. Regardless of the signs and symptoms presented in women, the reality is that more women die from a CVA each year than from breast cancer; yet, information concerning women and strokes is almost non-existent when compared to the well publicized and extensive marketing campaign of breast cancer. The National Stroke Association provides a quick assessment tool, FAST, so that time is not wasted as brain cells may be dying.
