Stroke is the fourth-most common cause of death in women, and rural women are particularly in danger because stroke victims must get treatment quickly to improve their odds of a good outcome, and that can be harder to find in rural areas, Madelyn Ostendorf reports for Successful Farming.
When women have a stroke, they're more likely than men to experience sudden confusion as an initial symptom. Here are some other common symptoms:
- sudden loss of limb control
- loss of vision
- difficulty speaking
- drooping of one side of the face
Less common but still important signs to watch for are:
- difficulty reading
- double vision
- trouble balancing
- tingling in the limbs
To assess whether someone, including oneself, is having a stroke, remember the acronym FAST:
- F: Face drooping. Does one side of the face droop, or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person's smile uneven?
- A: Arm weakness. Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
- S: Speech difficulty. Is speech slurred?
- T: Time to call 911.
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