Stroke symptoms differ depending on your gender, a New York City surgeon has warned.
Well-known symptoms such as numbness on one side and slurred speech occur mainly in men.
But for women, the warning signs are more subtle, according to a video shared by Dr. Erin Nance of Lennox Hill Hospital.
She adds that ignorance of gender inequality puts women at risk of misdiagnosis, as the best results are seen in patients treated within three hours of symptom onset.
‘If you wait seven to eight hours to go to the hospital, you already reduce the chance of a good recovery.’
Importantly, the majority (60 percent) of stroke deaths in the US occur in women.
Research shows that seizures, which occur when blood supply to the brain is cut off, are also more common in women.
According to figures, approximately 55,000 more women than men suffer a stroke each year in the US research.
“Women are 33 percent more likely to be misdiagnosed if they have an acute stroke,” Dr. Nance says in a video posted to her. TikTok channel.
‘Most women who are misdiagnosed are told they have anxiety or migraines.’
She then reveals the “unique symptoms of stroke in women,” including: “Loss of consciousness or fainting, general weakness, not just weakness in one arm or leg.”
“Confusion, indifference or disorientation,” she adds. Perhaps the most surprising symptom is “sudden change in behavior,” including agitation and hallucinations.
“Nausea, vomiting, seizures, or even hiccups.”
Women can also experience the classic symptoms of a stroke, Dr. Nance says, such as weakness on one side of the body, slurred speech and facial drooping.
“But these unique symptoms are often overlooked when you present to the emergency room when you’re not feeling well and stroke isn’t top of mind for a possible diagnosis.”
It’s not entirely clear why men and women experience different stroke symptoms, but some research suggests it may be related to differences in the size of the blood vessels that serve the brain. This affects the areas of the brain that are affected by nutrient deficiency, resulting in various symptoms.
One well-known woman who has suffered a devastating attack is model Hailey Bieber, who suffered a transient ischemic attack (TIA), or mini-stroke, in March 2022.
Model and influencer Hailey Bieber suffered a mini-stroke in March 2022, after feeling numbness in her arm and losing her ability to speak.
The 26-year-old, married to pop megastar Justin Bieber, was hospitalized after she suddenly developed pain in her arm and lost her ability to speak.
Tests later revealed that she had suffered a stroke, which eventually resolved on its own. The cause turned out to be a small blood clot that had traveled to her brain through an abnormal opening between the upper chambers of her heart.
There are many reasons why women are at greater risk of stroke than men. For example, the birth control pill – which is taken by roughly 230 million American women – can contribute to high blood pressure, increasing the risk of stroke.
“This doesn’t mean women should stop taking their birth control pills,” says Dr. Nance. ‘It means that if you have a symptom – a symptom that looks like a stroke – and you are taking birth control pills, you should tell your doctor immediately because you are concerned that you are having a possible stroke.’
Pregnancy and hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which is used by just under half of all postmenopausal women to relieve symptoms such as hot flashes, may also be responsible for a rise in blood pressure.
Stroke isn’t the only cardiovascular condition that affects men and women differently.
Research shows that heart attack symptoms vary between the sexes, with women much more likely to experience less common symptoms such as indigestion, shortness of breath and back pain.
Women are also less likely than men to experience chest pain in the minutes before a heart attack.
Widespread misunderstanding of symptoms in women is believed to be one reason why women are up to twice as likely to die in the years after a heart attack.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, killing approximately 310,000 women every year. CDC.