Symptoms of a stroke in women. Stroke is the leading cause of death in women. We must take into account that a stroke leaves sequelae in 50% of the people affected and some of them die.
Now, after the article these are the symptoms of a stroke in men, we wonder what the symptoms of a stroke in women are.
Although the differences associated with gender still raise questions because they are not entirely clear, several studies have tried to shed some light on this. The reason? Reduce the time in which a woman goes to the nearest emergency center, in the case of suffering a stroke, to receive medical attention and reduce the severity that a late approach may have.
Symptoms of a stroke in women that are far from those already known:
The 2009 monograph, Gender differences in ischemic stroke, points out some symptoms of a stroke in women that attract attention. To begin with, they detail that “women tend to present generalized symptoms more frequently than men and fewer classic signs.”
Let’s remember that we always refer to the symptoms of a stroke when talking about it.
Sudden difficulty speaking, loss of strength in the face or extremities, loss of vision in one eye, or intense headache. But, in women, only some or none of these symptoms may appear, which can lead to confusion.
Disorientation, headache, and altered consciousness:
From the monograph, they state that “women tend to present disorientation, generalized weakness, mental disorders, headache, and altered consciousness often.” These are not typical symptoms of a stroke or that can be related to a stroke.
What’s more, if a woman suffers from other problems. Migraines are one example of symptoms that can lead to underestimation of stroke symptoms in women, causing them not to seek immediate medical care and resulting in a less favorable prognosis.
Well, as Antonio Parralo Lopez, a member of the Neurology service at Hospital Quirónsalud Huelva. Explains in a press release “we must act quickly since early detection is essential to avoid serious sequelae “.
Urinary incontinence or decreased communication skills:
But, more symptoms would never be related to a stroke. The monograph explains that “women can also present urinary incontinence, visual deficits (such as diplopia), and dysphasia.” Double vision is referred to as diplopia And impaired communication skills are associated with a stroke and are usually referred to as dysphasia.
Likewise, in a study carried out in 2016. Researchers observed sex-related differences in primary intracerebral hemorrhage, specifically in women.
It was more frequent for stroke to produce a superficial hematoma. Specifically located in the lobular area.
As Eugenia Gil mentions in the monograph. “Cerebral infarction is a clear example of how a prevalent disease among women is not given the importance it deserves.” It is true that all the symptoms of a stroke in women differ from the ones we usually read or hear about.
Which results in a late diagnosis with the risks that this entails.
