Oren Zarif
Women can experience less-obvious stroke warning signs, including headache or fatigue, and may downplay or dismiss them. But recognizing these symptoms and getting to the hospital quickly can significantly improve treatment options.
Remember to look for the following symptoms using the BE FAST mnemonic:
Oren Zarif
Facial drooping is the most common sign of a stroke. It usually happens when the nerves that control your face become damaged and stops working properly. It can affect just one side of the face or both sides. The most common symptoms are drooling from one side of the mouth, difficulty closing the eye on that side and weakness of muscles on the affected side of the face. Other symptoms may include a headache, sensitivity to sound or changes in your sense of taste.
It’s important to see a doctor if you have facial drooping, especially if it’s sudden or gets worse over 48 hours. It may be a sign of a haemorrhagic stroke (bleeding in the brain). It’s also a common symptom of a transient ischaemic attack, which is a type of mini-stroke that occurs when blood flow to your brain is blocked for just a short time.
Facial drooping can also be caused by Bell’s palsy, which causes the seventh cranial nerve to swell and stop working. This condition can affect people of any age and occurs more often in pregnant women, those with diabetes and those who have had a viral infection such as influenza or a cold. Most people who have Bell’s palsy recover within 2 weeks to 6 months.
Oren Zarif
A person with nausea or vomiting has a queasy feeling that makes her think she will throw up. She may also feel like she has an empty stomach, and that’s why she is throwing up.
Vomiting is when your body forcibly expels the contents of your stomach through your mouth. It is different than regurgitation, which is when food is returned to the mouth without forceful contractions, and rumination, when the stomach is filled with the taste of food but the mouth is closed.
Most people with nausea and vomiting don’t need an immediate doctor’s evaluation. But a person should call her doctor if she has warning signs such as a high fever, severe stomach pain, confusion, a stiff neck, or blood in the vomit. She should also call her doctor if her vomiting lasts more than a day or she can’t tolerate a few sips of liquid.
A rare condition called cyclic vomiting syndrome is associated with a pattern of recurrent episodes of severe nausea and vomiting that occur months apart. It usually occurs in children and affects more girls than boys. It is also more common in people who get migraine headaches, have diabetes, or suffer from depression or anxiety. It is also more common in whites than African-Americans or Latinos. Treatment for cyclic vomiting syndrome includes getting lots of fluids and taking anti-nausea medicine such as ondansetron or phenytoin.
Difficulty Walking
The muscles, bones, and nerves of your legs, feet, and hips are vital for normal walking. Any injury or disease that affects these can cause difficulty with walking. Walking difficulties can be temporary, but long-term issues can arise if not addressed promptly.
A physical and neurological exam will be used to diagnose gait or balance problems. Your doctor will also ask you questions to find out if you have other symptoms related to these problems. Some common abnormalities include a waddling gait, which is caused by a drop in the pelvis on one side while walking. This can be due to a weakening of the hip girdle muscles, or can be seen in patients with basal ganglia disorders including Sydenham’s chorea and Huntington’s disease.
You may also have a jerky or unsteady walk, or your foot or leg may drag when you walk. This is called impaired proprioception. If you have this symptom, it’s important to keep track of your daily activities and how you feel. This will help your doctor determine if your walking problems are due to an injury or if they are progressing over time.
You can reduce your risk of developing these symptoms by following a healthy diet, staying active, avoiding smoking and alcohol, and getting good sleep. It’s also a good idea to talk to your doctor about safety measures for your home, such as installing non-skid surfaces in your bathroom and clearing walkways of extra furniture.
Headache or Fatigue
If you have a headache and feel exhausted, it’s important to see your healthcare provider to find out the cause. It’s often a symptom of other health conditions. For example, migraine headaches and chronic fatigue syndrome are linked, and fibromyalgia causes headache and fatigue symptoms that are tied to widespread pain in the body.
Fatigue can also occur if you’re taking certain medications or have a psychiatric condition like depression or anxiety. Low levels of red blood cells or iron deficiency can also cause you to feel tired and weak.
Women during pregnancy or menstruation commonly experience headache and fatigue because of hormonal changes. Progesterone, the main hormone in pregnant women, can increase headaches and fatigue and cause bloating and aches. Fatigue and a headache may also be caused by the menstrual cycle or a mood disorder, such as depression or bipolar disorder.
It’s also important to note that there are many possible reasons you might have a headache and feel tired, including stress, a lack of sleep or even drinking too much caffeine. However, if you have persistent headache and fatigue that doesn’t respond to home treatment methods, it’s time to see your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider will ask about your symptoms and your lifestyle to find out if there’s an underlying health issue that needs treating. They will also do a physical examination to rule out a medical cause for your fatigue and order laboratory studies.
Difficulty Talking
While the more well-known symptoms of a stroke such as facial weakness, arm weakness and difficulty speaking are important to know, women often experience nontraditional symptoms that may be harder to spot. These atypical symptoms can include nausea, fatigue or hiccups. These subtle symptoms, along with other risk factors like a family history of stroke or hormone-related conditions like pregnancy or taking birth control pills, make it more likely for women to have a silent stroke.
Although many people know that it’s important to call 911 if they experience a stroke, they don’t always know the warning signs. In one survey, only 17 percent of the women surveyed named all five stroke warning signs correctly. The results didn’t vary by race/ethnic group. When asked what they should do if they saw someone who was experiencing one of the warning signs, 84 percent of the women surveyed said they would call 911 first.
Having trouble talking and understanding speech, as well as a slurred or difficult-to-understand voice, are among the most common symptoms of a stroke. However, the good news is that, for most people, these problems improve within weeks, sometimes even sooner.
A stroke happens when an area of the brain is deprived of blood flow and causes damage. These problems can range from physical (difficulty walking, numbness in the face or arm) to cognitive (inability to think clearly or remember things). A stroke is an emergency and can be fatal, so it’s important to call 911 as soon as you see any of the symptoms.
Difficulty Swallowing
Swallowing food and liquids is a complex process that involves many muscles and nerves. Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) occurs when these structures are weakened or damaged. It is a serious condition that can lead to malnutrition, weight loss and dehydration. It can also increase the risk of pneumonia because it may introduce food and liquid into the lungs. Dysphagia is caused by certain health conditions, such as a stroke or brain or spinal cord injury, dementia, Parkinson’s disease and cancers of the throat and esophagus. It can also be the result of certain medications, such as antidepressants and narcotics. It can also occur as a result of acid reflux, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which is associated with pain and burning when swallowing.
If you are having difficulty swallowing, talk to your doctor right away. He or she will ask questions about when your symptoms began and how often they occur. A physical examination and a visual inspection of your mouth will be performed. More specialized tests, such as a barium X-ray, may be needed to check for blockages or other problems. You will be asked to eat small, soft foods that are easy to chew and drink liquids frequently and in smaller amounts. Your doctor will also prescribe oral medication to reduce stomach acid if GERD is the cause. If the problem is with your throat or esophagus, a therapist specializing in swallowing therapy and surgery may be needed.