Heart disease (heart attack) symptoms for men are very different than for women - men tend to report different "sensations" than women, although the underlying issue is exactly the same.
Although most strokes are basically the same thing as a heart attack - only in your head instead of in your heart, the stroke symptoms for men and the stroke symptoms for women are the same. If you experience any one of these symptoms, don't delay. Go to the hospital by ambulance right away - time equals brain cells. The sooner you get some aggressive stroke treatment (TPA, the "clot busting drug" comes to mind), the better the chances you have of limiting the damage a stroke can do. And boy, can it ever do damage.
I've had both open heart surgery (double bypass), but fortunately it happened before I had a heart attack - and I've had a relatively minor stroke. Let me tell you that the heart surgery was a cake-walk compared to the stroke. 93 days in a hospital, re-learning how to walk and to talk, and still unable to do some things I used to - like run and swim. And my stroke was minor according to the NIH Stroke Scale.
So on to the symptoms. I like to remember the FAST method of recognizing a stroke:
F stands for face. Try to smile in a mirror. If one side of your face doesn't respond, or droops, you may be having a stroke. Call 911.
A stands for arms. Stretch both arms out before you, palms up. If one arm falls or drifts down, or cannot get up in the first place, you may be having a stroke. Call 911.
S stands for speech. Speak to someone if you can. If your words are slurred, in the wrong order, make no sense, or you can't speak at all, you may be having a stroke. Call 911.
T stands for time. Time is brain cells. If any of the FAS symptoms appear, don't question yourself (this is also typical - pretending nothing is wrong), call 911 and get an ambulance right away!
Although most strokes are basically the same thing as a heart attack - only in your head instead of in your heart, the stroke symptoms for men and the stroke symptoms for women are the same. If you experience any one of these symptoms, don't delay. Go to the hospital by ambulance right away - time equals brain cells. The sooner you get some aggressive stroke treatment (TPA, the "clot busting drug" comes to mind), the better the chances you have of limiting the damage a stroke can do. And boy, can it ever do damage.
I've had both open heart surgery (double bypass), but fortunately it happened before I had a heart attack - and I've had a relatively minor stroke. Let me tell you that the heart surgery was a cake-walk compared to the stroke. 93 days in a hospital, re-learning how to walk and to talk, and still unable to do some things I used to - like run and swim. And my stroke was minor according to the NIH Stroke Scale.
So on to the symptoms. I like to remember the FAST method of recognizing a stroke:
F stands for face. Try to smile in a mirror. If one side of your face doesn't respond, or droops, you may be having a stroke. Call 911.
A stands for arms. Stretch both arms out before you, palms up. If one arm falls or drifts down, or cannot get up in the first place, you may be having a stroke. Call 911.
S stands for speech. Speak to someone if you can. If your words are slurred, in the wrong order, make no sense, or you can't speak at all, you may be having a stroke. Call 911.
T stands for time. Time is brain cells. If any of the FAS symptoms appear, don't question yourself (this is also typical - pretending nothing is wrong), call 911 and get an ambulance right away!
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