Here Are 6 Ways Stroke Symptoms May Differ in Women in 2024

A stroke occurs when a part of the brain doesn’t get the oxygen it needs due to a loss of blood supply. It is the third leading cause of death for women and is the leading cause of serious long-term disability in the United States, with approximately 750,000 cases occurring each year.

Strokes can have a more negative and long-term impact on women since they generally live longer than men.

General risk factors of stroke include:

Family history
High blood pressure
Smoking
Diabetes
High cholesterol
Obesity

Unique risk factors of stroke for women include:

Taking birth control pills. Prior to starting a birth control regimen, you should be screened for risk factors of stroke and quit smoking.
Being pregnant. Your blood pressure should be monitored during and after pregnancy to lower the risk of stroke.
Using hormone replacement therapy.

Stroke symptoms

The symptoms of a stroke usually begin suddenly but sometimes develop over hours or days. The sudden onset should be a red flag to seek urgent medical attention.

Depending upon the area affected, a person may develop:

Weakness
Facial drooping
Slurring of speech/language problems
Numbness
Loss of vision, hearing and/or balance
Dizziness

Women may also report more vague symptoms such as:

Fainting
General weakness
Shortness of breath
Confusion/behavioral problems
Nausea or vomiting
Pain

When to Seek Help

Anyone who has signs or symptoms of a stroke should seek immediate medical attention in an emergency department because early treatment can reduce the brain damage that results from a stroke.

Treatment depends on the type of stroke and the timing from the first symptom. The damage from a stroke may be temporary or permanent. Medications like “clot busters” have a limited window of time to be administered which further emphasizes the need for going to the hospital immediately.

Do not take aspirin at home because some strokes are caused by bleeding and will get worse with aspirin. A person's long-term outcome depends upon how much of the brain is damaged, how quickly treatment begins and several other factors.