A clot or a blockage in the vein which reaches the brain impedes its ability to receive the needed nutrients and oxygen from the blood and causes a stroke.
The deficiency of blood and oxygen leads to a death of the cells in the brain.
You should know that not only men experience strokes, since as reported by the National Stroke Association, it is the third leading cause of death in women.
Every year, 55,000 more women are dying of it than men. This may be surprising to many, as women in general lead healthier lives and men indulge in harmful habits like drinking and smoking, but apparently, women have a higher risk when it comes to stroke.
Depending on the case, strokes can be of several types. An ischemic stroke is caused by a clot in the vein, a hemorrhagic stroke is a result of a rupture of the blood vessel, while the reason for a transient ischemic attack (TIA) – or a mini-stroke – is a temporary clot.
Mini-strokes usually clear up on their own, but it is an alarming sign of serious health issues in the future. Therefore, you mustn’t ignore it, as it is a question of life or death. It may last the entire day or only a few seconds, but in each case, you should always seek an emergency medical help.
The consequences of stroke are extremely devastating, such as impaired speech, behavioral changes, face physical challenges such as paralysis, cognitive challenges like memory loss and inability to solve problems.
These effects depend on the area of the brain where it occurs, the severity of the stroke, and how long it takes to get treatment.
To clarify it further:
-If it affects the right side of the brain, it may cause impaired judgment, memory loss, and misjudgment of distances.
-If a stroke occurs in the left part of the brain, it may lead to memory issues, impaired speech, and language, as well as slow and cautious behavior.
-If it affects the cerebellum, which is the part of the brain in charge of balance, it may cause dizziness, balance problems, and abnormal reflexes.
Generally speaking, most women overlook the warning signs of strokes. However, knowing the symptoms may prevent long-term damage, so they should never be ignored. In case you start experiencing any of them, you should immediately call 911.
Causes
Men have a higher risk of having a stroke than women at all ages, but every year, more women die from stroke than man. Why are women at so susceptible to strokes?
Even though men lead more unhealthy lives, and rarely visit doctors, but the reason for the increased risk in women is due to some other big differences between the sexes. It is partially due to the fact that on average women live longer, and age increases the stroke mortality, but that is not all.
The following typical risk factors apply to both women and men:
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Lack of exercise
- Cardiovascular disease
- High cholesterol
- Being overweight
- Drugs and tobacco
However, there are other risk factors which are women-specific, and dramatically raise the stroke risk, such as:
- Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
- Birth control pills
- Pregnancy
- Mental health
- Preeclampsia
- gestational diabetes
- postmenopausal hormone use
The following risk factors are more prevalent in women as well:
- a migraine with aura
- diabetes mellitus
- psycho-social stress
- hypertension
- depression
- atrial fibrillation
On the other hand, the following risk factors are with the same prevalence in men and women, but their impact is different without a known reason:
- obesity
- Smoking
- Diet
- Metabolic syndrome
- physical inactivity
- age
- prior cardiovascular disease
Symptoms of Stroke in Women
Here are the most common symptoms of stroke in woman and men:
- Trouble with vision
- Headaches without an evident reason
- Numbness
- Weakness and dizziness
- Confusion
On the other hand, women only can experience the following signs of stroke, so knowing them may save your life:
- Nausea or vomiting
- Agitation
- Hallucination
- Fainting
- Shortness of breath
- Behavioral changes
- Hiccups
- Seizures
- Pain
Furthermore, you should remember the acronym FAST in order to spot a stroke on time. It has been developed by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to help you easily remember the warning signs of strokes.
It relates to:
- F – Face Drooping
- A – Arm Weakness
- S – Speech Difficulty
- T – Time to call 911.
Prevention
In order to avoid the severe consequences of strokes, you should take measures to prevent them. First of all, make sure you avoid participating in risky behaviors, like drinking and smoking.
Also, you should consider the following stroke prevention methods:
- Get tested for diabetes
- Exercise at least 20 minutes daily
- Report any mood changes – depression may raise the stroke risk in women
- Maintain a healthy body weight
- Monitor your headaches – you should search help if they become more severe migraines
- Use olive oil for cooking to enjoy its heart benefits
- Monitoring blood pressure during pregnancy or plan to begin taking birth control
- Check your cholesterol levels
- Deal stress
- Get a healthy amount of sleep, 7-8 hours
If you recognize the early signs of stroke, and immediately seek medical help, you will dramatically reduce its consequences, and prevent long-term damage.
Stroke recovery
The recovery treatment may include rehabilitation therapy and speech therapy to improve skills, as well as assisted care for everyday tasks such as feeding, showering, and dressing.
Furthermore, the changes that need to be implemented may significantly alter the lifestyle. The patient should switch to a healthy diet, and regular exercise, in order to prevent another stroke.
Due to the unique factors which raise the stroke risk in the case of women, they need to know the most common warning signs, and thus prolong their life and prevent the occurrence of stroke.
The regular monitoring of your health condition effectively avoids severe health issues such as stroke. Additionally, even though strokes may occur at any age, note that age can be an important factor as well.