Although men and women share some common symptoms of a stroke, women may also experience what are considered to be non-traditional stroke symptoms. Women may not recognize these symptoms, resulting in heightened risk for a delay in seeking treatment. The only FDA-approved drug for treating stroke-tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) must be administered within the first three hours of the onset of stroke symptoms, so learning to recognize and respond quickly to the traditional and non-traditional symptoms of stroke is a matter of life and death for women.
Non-traditional Symptoms in Women
Findings from a study published in the 2009 issue of Stroke indicate that women were almost 1.5 times more likely to report non-traditional stroke symptoms than men. Studies have shown that women are 30% less likely to receive the clot-breaking drug TPA than men, and are more likely to report hospital delays, so learning to recognize non-traditional symptoms may reduce delays and improve these statistics. Some non-traditional symptoms of stroke that appear among women include acute face and limb pain, sudden chest pain or shortness of breath, heart palpitations, nausea and the sudden onset of hiccups. Women may also feel a general weakness on one or both sides of their body.
Altered Mental Status
Of all the non-traditional symptoms seen among women experiencing a stroke, altered mental status may be the most common. Additional findings from the 2009 Stroke issue indicate that, among a group of men and women suffering an ischemic stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA), altered mental status was the most common non-traditional symptom of stroke--and it was exhibited significantly more frequently by women than by men. Symptoms of an altered mental status include confusion, disorientation and potentially loss of consciousness. Researchers don't yet know why women are more likely to experience these symptoms.
Traditional Symptoms Common in Men and Women
There are several traditional stroke symptoms common to men and women that are signs of a stroke. Numbness, tingling, and/or weakness on one side of the face, arm, or leg is very common and is a sign that the blood supply to the brain has been blocked due to a clotted or ruptured artery. People may also experience dizziness, problems walking and keeping their balance, impaired coordination, blurred or diminished vision in one or both eyes, problems speaking or understanding speech, and a severe headache that comes on acutely and has no apparent cause. Anyone experiencing these or any of the other symptoms should call 911 and seek emergency medical treatment.
References
- University of Michigan Mental Health: Women and Stroke News
- "Stroke;" Acute Stroke Symptoms: Comparing Women and Men; Lynda D. Lisabeth et al.; 2009
- National Stroke Association: Unique Symptoms in Women
