Nowadays people undergo mental stress much and lag physical activity due to the modern lifestyle. This kind of lifestyle makes then lazy and prone to non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and more. Such a disease is Stroke, also known as Cerebrovascular Accident which is basically damaging to the brain due to interrupted blood supply. This interruption can be either a blockage or rupture of the blood vessels which prevents blood and oxygen to reach brain tissue. It is a medical emergency. Let’s discuss stroke in women.
Every year lakhs of people have a stroke. Mostly men are to have a stroke but women also have a higher lifetime risk. This is because women have a longer life to live and this age is a major risk factor of stroke. Hypertension is usually seen in women. Pregnancy and birth control also contribute to the development of stroke.
In this article:
Symptoms of Stroke in Women
Treatment of Stroke in Women
Prevention of Future stroke
All You Need to Know about Stroke in Women
Symptoms of Stroke in Women
Women have some unique symptoms. These symptoms are not seen in men. These symptoms are:
- Seizures
- Nausea along with vomiting or without vomiting
- Pain
- Complete body weakness
- Breathlessness
- Loss of consciousness
- Hiccups
Since these symptoms are seen only in women it is hard to correlate them with a stroke which often delays treatment and even more delays in recovery.
Sometimes stroke could even alter the mental status of the patient, clinically this is known as “Altered mental Status”.
These symptoms include:
- Sudden Drowsiness
- Disorientation
- Confusion
- Hallucination
- Unresponsiveness
- Unexpected Mood Swings
- Agitation
Although both men and women may be affected, women have almost 1.5 times more chance to develop stroke. Some of the common symptoms seen in both men and women are as follows :
- Sudden blackout
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face or limbs mostly unilateral
- Sudden and severe headache
- Loss of coordination along with dizziness
- Sudden trouble speaking or understanding
Treatment of Stroke in Women
Treatment depends on the type of stroke.
Ischemic Stroke
It is the most common type of stroke. It is basically a blood clot causing cut off blood flow to the brain. The doctor would treat it by administering a tissue plasminogen activator which dissolves the clot. Other methods such as mechanical clot removal are also carried out also known as mechanical thrombectomy.
Hemorrhagic Stroke
It is observed when an artery present in brain ruptures or leaks blood. The treatment of this kind of stroke is different from that of ischemic stroke. This treatment is approached by identifying the underlying cause of the stroke. The cause could be :
- An aneurysm: Surgery is the only option to treat.
- Abnormal arteries and damaged veins: Arteriovenous malformation to repair and prevent more bleeding
- Hypertension: Medication to lower the high blood pressure and reduce the bleeding.
As compared to men, women receive less intensive care and therapeutic workups. Women may also have post-stroke effects such as :
- Stroke-related disability
- Depression
- Tiredness
- Mental retardation
- Inability to perform daily activities
- Reduction in quality of life
Prevention of Future stroke
To prevent stroke :
- Intake of a proper balanced diet
- Maintenance of weight
- Regular workout and exercise
- Cessation of smoking
- Involvement in stress-releasing activities
Women should also take precautions by :
- Having regular blood pressure checkups during and even after pregnancy
- After the age of 75 screening for atrial fibrillation
- Before initiation of birth control screening for high blood pressure.
Conclusion
Stroke intensity and even recovery vary from individual to individual. Physiotherapy may help in learning back the lost skills. Some people learn it back quick while some may require more time. The most important thing to understand is rehabilitation and maintaining a good healthy lifestyle is mandatory to avoid such diseases further in life.
Reference
https://www.healthline.com
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