Stroke Symptoms in Women

Stroke is medically referred to as Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) and is a condition when blood supply is interrupted to a part of brain. Blood carries oxygen which is supplied to various parts of our body, including brain cells. Thus, for proper functioning of all the body organs and cells, blood and oxygen are a must. During a stroke attack, this blood supply can be disrupted due to blocking or bursting of a blood vessel present in a part of the brain. There are two types of stroke, ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic stroke refers to stroke due to a blood clot, while hemorrhagic stroke is stroke due to breaking of a blood vessel. Because of blood and oxygen scarcity, the brain cells die and cause dysfunction of that part of the brain. If proper and quick treatment is not given, the brain may completely stop working, causing the death of the patient.

Stroke symptoms in women may differ from the classic symptoms of stroke. Usually, when a woman gets a stroke attack, the symptoms are quite vague. These symptoms are somewhat different from the stroke symptoms that are usually noticed. Because of these unique and vague symptoms, stroke in a woman often goes undiagnosed. Wrong diagnosis of these symptoms leads to wrong treatment, which often causes severe complications. Hence, it is necessary to know the signs and symptoms of stroke in women. Let's look at the common symptoms of stroke first.

Common Symptoms of Stroke

The classic or common symptoms of stroke, generally observed in both men and women, are listed below. All these stroke symptoms occur unexpectedly with a sudden onset.

• Sudden speech impairment or impaired comprehension
• Numbness or weakness, usually on one side of the body
• Mental confusion
• Onset of a sudden and severe headache
• Blurred vision or difficulty with vision
• Dizziness and problems with balance and coordination

Symptoms of Stroke in Women

Because of the non-traditional or uncommon stroke symptoms in women, the patient is many a time deprived of the treatment that she should be given. These symptoms are sometimes referred to as atypical symptoms. Sometimes, the stroke symptoms in women are so different that the physician may misdiagnose the problem and relate it to some other health problem. It's not that only women experience these atypical symptoms of stroke. These symptoms are also observed in men, but the percentage is higher for women. These symptoms are listed below,

Shortness of Breath: Breathing problem is usually considered as a symptom that is related to a heart or lung problem. Thus, this symptom may mislead the diagnosis as well as the treatment.

Fainting: It is one of the most irregular symptoms of stroke in women, and also the most difficult to diagnose. This symptom is a result of miscommunication in brain due to its dysfunction.

Unconsciousness: This symptom complicates the diagnosis process since the woman is not in the state to be assessed for the usual symptoms of stroke.

Seizures: Seizure is a usually a rare symptom and is caused due to improper functioning of brain.

Other atypical stroke symptoms in women include,

• Fatigue
• Chest Pain
• Coordination problem
• Hiccups
• Nausea
• Pain (arms, legs, face)

Research has proved that a maximum percentage of women do not show the traditional symptoms of stroke and hence, it takes more time to detect stroke in women. This delay in diagnosis, which leads to delay in treatment, can be very fatal. Almost 30% cases of stroke in women do not receive immediate treatment. The reasons for these non-traditional stroke symptoms in women are yet to be found out. Stroke is a health problem that requires prompt treatment or else, it may lead to death. Hence, it is mandatory to understand the signs and symptoms of stroke in women, so that immediate treatment can be provided to save the patient's life.