To wrap up our Women’s Health Month, we would like to spread some awareness about symptoms women experience when having a stroke. While not as widely discussed, strokes actually causes twice as many fatalities in women each year as breast cancer.
First of all, what exactly is a stroke?
A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain either ruptures or is blocked by a clot. When this happens, part of the brain no longer receives the oxygen it needs and the tissue in that area starts to die.
Warning Signs of Stroke:
– Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
– Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding others
– Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
– Sudden dizziness, loss of coordination or balance or trouble walking
– Sudden severe headache with no obvious cause
If you experience any signs of a stroke, call 9-1-1 and get to a hospital as soon as possible. The sooner you get to the hospital, the better your chances of recovery.
*information obtained from healthywomen.org
