What are the common signs of stroke in women?

Stroke is a leading cause of long-term, severe disability in the USA. It is the 3rd leading cause of death for women compared to the 5th cause of death for men. Women suffer from stroke more often because women live longer than men and oftentimes do not want to lay burden on those around them. Therefore, stroke has a more negative impact on women’s lives.


The more we know about the warning signs and symptoms of a stroke, the better we will be able to get the right help as there are only 3 hours of the first symptoms manifestation that secure effective treatment and save life.


The classic symptoms of stroke in both men and women, often called suddens, are:


    - weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg, in particular in one side of the body

    - confusion, trouble understanding or speaking

    - blurred vision or trouble seeing in one or both eyes

    - trouble walking, lack of coordination, loss of balance or dizziness

    - severe headache without a known cause.


Women may have symptoms different from men. In addition to the classic symptoms, there are 11 more symptoms unique to women:


    - general weakness

    - fainting

    - shortness of breath

    - disorientation, confusion or unresponsiveness

    - agitation

    - sudden behavioral change

    - seizures

    - hallucinations

    - hiccups

    - chest pain

    - nausea or vomiting

These signs of a stroke in women create a problem as they are often not recognized or can be mistaken for the symptoms of a heart attack. In order not to delay the treatment, call 911 to get the emergency medical care, as both conditions require immediate medical attention.


In order to prevent stroke one should learn about lifestyle changes and certain medication to reduce the risk of stroke. Besides general risk factors as family history, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, overweight, smoking and sedentary lifestyle, women are faced with some other unique risk factors as pregnancy, birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy and migraines with aura. These factors are largely associated with hormones. Hormones, especially estrogens play a big role in women’s health and often put them at greater risk of stroke. When estrogen levels are high, the blood clots more and the woman is at higher risk for stroke. Estrogen levels are high during pregnancy and right after delivery, they can also be raised by birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy.


Unfortunately, women are unaware of these risk factors and don’t perceive themselves at risk for stroke. Knowing the 5 classical symptoms of stroke and being able to recognize symptoms unique to women raises the chances of survival.