Although both men and women can suffer from a stroke—when the blood can’t get to the brain, causing brain cells to die. But men may experience different symptoms than woman, and stroke symptoms may occur more often in men.
Strokes in men vs. women
Strokes are actually more common in women, and more likely to be fatal. But men tend to have strokes at a younger age, and they are the fifth-leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For men, the most common warning signs of a stroke are weakness or numbness on one side of the body and difficulty maintaining balance.
For women, the warning signs were less traditional: headaches, lightheadedness and confusion. Some men also exhibit these signs when experiencing a stroke.
Luckily for men, displaying more traditional symptoms is often a better alert (to the patient, bystanders or doctors) that a stroke is in progress. This often helps reduce the time until treatment, which can prevent further damage and even death.
Hemorrhagic strokes
Although hemorrhaging in the brain sounds scary, these types of strokes are far less common.
Sometimes referred to as a “mini-stroke,” transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) can manifest with stroke-like symptoms in the short term, to let you know a full-scale stroke may be coming.
If you think you or someone else is having a stroke, there are a group of symptoms called “F.A.S.T.” that you can watch for (and respond):
F = Face drooping (Because a stroke can cause one side of the face to become weak or numb, ask the person to smile to determine if only one side of the mouth can form into a smile.)
A = Arm weakness (Someone who has had a stroke may not be able to raise and hold both arms up.)
S = Speech difficulty (Stroke symptoms may include difficulty speaking or talking nonsense.)
T – Time (Time is of the essence to prevent further injury to the brain. Seek medical help.)
Not all stroke victims display all these symptoms. If even one is present and the person seems “off,” get them to a doctor immediately.
