Is it tired or a stroke? Women should not ignore these warning signs

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the U.S., and women make up nearly 60% of all stroke deaths.

Why?

In part, say experts, women can have symptoms of a work-life balance. That can lead to delays in getting time-sensitive, lifesaving treatments.

FAST: face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty, time to call 911. Other signs include problems coordination problems.

But some women experience other, more likely to report a doctor's attention to a 911 operator.

"Women have frequently had atypical, vague symptoms," said Dr. Pooja Khatri, a neurology professor at the University of Cincinnati.

Body function.

She said many women may be disregarding something like a sudden, unusually bad headache if they're used to getting headaches. But they can dismiss difficulty walking, exhaustion, brain fog or an overall malaise and instead blame it on stress or being overworked. Nausea or vomiting often gets explained to viral illnesses.

It's critical to zero in on "any sudden symptom or loss in function that you're not explaining." The key is that it's sudden, "said Khatri, director of the University of Cincinnati Stroke Team.

Studies suggest women are just as knowledgeable as men, if not more, about recognizing the most typical stroke symptoms. 911, said Dr. Amytis Towfighi, Director of Neurological Services for Los Angeles, 9-11, 9-11. County Department of Health Services.

"Said Towfighi, an badociate professor of neurology," The key to getting the treatments we have is having the ambulances alert the hospitals that they're coming up with with a patient stroke, "said Towfighi, badociate professor of neurology University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine.

"If you are just walking into the ER, you may be in a position to wait and see that they may have a stroke. to be seen and getting treatment. "

Minutes matter during a stroke, which happens when the brain is deprived of oxygen after a ruptured vessel. Treatment is extremely time-sensitive, and delays can increase the risk of death or permanent brain damage.

Khatri said women and men should be comfortable with the idea of ​​false alarm.

"It's not worth the risk of it being a true stroke that you've failed to get treated for quickly," she said.

"Time is brain, and the longer you're going to be definitive treatment, the more brain (tissue) that's going to die, and the less well you're going in the long run. It's worth taking the risk of being wrong.

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American Heart Association News cover heart and brain health. Not all views expressed in this story reflect the position of the American Heart Association. Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights reserved. If you have questions or comments about this story, please email [email protected].