A pre stroke indicates an increased risk for a full stroke. This article explains the pre stroke symptoms for women.
A stroke can be described as brain attack. Most people know a lot about heart attack, but they have very little knowledge about stroke and stroke symptoms. A pre stroke is also known as mini stroke. As it suggests increased risk for stroke, it is necessary to know the signs of mini stroke. Because of unawareness, the mini stroke symptoms are often overlooked. Before taking a look at pre stroke symptoms for women, let us take a look at what is stroke and what are the causes and risk factors for stroke.
Stroke
An interrupted blood supply to brain area results in stroke. Leakage of blood due to ruptured artery or vessel can affect the supply of blood to brain. Similarly, a blood clot can block the blood flow to brain. Lack of oxygen to brain and insufficient supply of glucose to brain cells results in death of brain cells. Damaged brain results in difficulty in movement and speech, incontinence, and loss of memory, etc. Effects of stroke depend upon where the stroke occurs, which parts of the brain are affected and how much are they affected.
A pre stroke is also known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA). It is nothing but a small stroke. It is experienced when blood supply to brain is stopped for a very short period. Its effects may be experienced for a few hours or for a few minutes. The symptoms usually subside within 24 hours. They begin rapidly, and they go away very soon. They do not leave any kind of permanent damage like the signs of a stroke.
The following are more likely to notice the warning signs of a stroke.
- People over age 55
- People with family history of stroke
- Overweight people
- Those who smoke, drug addicts, alcohol addicts
- Those who have had pre stroke
- High levels of homocysteine
- Those who use certain medications in excessive amount
- Those who have undergone hormone replacement therapy
- People with high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, etc.
It is believed that men are more susceptible to stroke than women, but if you check the above list of risk factors, you will notice that women are equally susceptible to stroke as men.
Pre Stroke Symptoms for Women
Pre stroke usually affects those parts of the brain which are concerned with speaking and movement of limbs. Signs of stroke in women can be non-traditional, and hence can be misinterpreted.
- A feeling of light-headedness
- Headaches
- Hiccups
- Nausea, vomiting
- Rapid heartbeat
- Chest pain
- Pain in arms, legs and face
- Difficulty walking
- Sudden numbness or weakness in your face, arm or leg
- One side of the body is painful
- Difficulty in understanding what others are saying
- Sudden vision problems
- Drooping mouth or eyes, difficulty smiling
- Difficulty in raising hands
- Difficulty in speaking
- Difficulty in moving one arm or one leg
- Mini stroke signs also include confusion and loss of balance.
Since women are more prone to hormone imbalance, and they often become victims of obesity and several health problems, they need to follow a healthy diet and perform exercises regularly. Following a healthy lifestyle helps reduce the chances of stroke. A larger stroke may result in paralysis or death. Early stroke signs should be considered as a warning sign of a stroke in future. It is believed that chances of a pre stroke turning into a larger stroke are more for women than men. It has been noticed that most women fail to recognize the signs. I hope you found the above information on warning signs of stroke helpful.
Disclaimer: This HealthHearty article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.
