Recognizing and preventing Acute stroke in women

Abstract

2.0 ANCC CONTACT HOURSIN WOMEN, STROKE is the third leading cause of death, after heart disease and cancer, and the major cause of disability. 1,2 One in five women will have a stroke sometime during her lifetime, compared with one in six men. The rate of midlife stroke in women has tripled in the last 20 years. 3 Almost 25% of women who have a stroke will die within the first year. Sixty percent more women die from stroke than men. 1,2 For more startling facts, see Statistics show women at risk.Despite the danger stroke poses, only 25% to 30% of women can name more than two symptoms of stroke or know that women face a higher risk for stroke than men. 1,4 As nurses, we owe it to our female patients to be knowledgeable about stroke, especially its risk factors, signs, and symptoms, and to educate women about how they can protect themselves. Women are also less likely than men to receive fibrinolytic therapy within the recommended time frame of symptom onset. 3,5 Besides discussing women' s stroke risks and signs and symptoms, this article outlines key measures women can take to lessen their risk of having a stroke. Recognizing signs and symptomsThe signs and symptoms of a stroke may be subtle or dramatic. Strokes are characterized by any one of these signs and symptoms or any combination of them: sudden numbness or weakness of the face or extremities; sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or trouble understanding speech; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; sudden trouble walking; loss of balance or coordination;