Stroke is the third most common cause of death in women. Surprised? You’re not alone. Women Veterans may not know that unique factors related to military experience that put them at greater risk. While it’s easy to let your health fall to the bottom of your to-do list, knowing and managing your risk for stroke may save your life.
Understanding Stroke
A stroke occurs when an artery carrying blood from the heart to the brain is either blocked or bursts, depriving part of the brain of oxygen and causing brain cells to die. This can lead to death or serious health issues or disability, like paralysis, memory loss, vision and language problems, or behavior changes.
Stroke is an emergency and every minute counts! Quick treatment may minimize long-term conditions and even prevent death, so knowing how to recognize it as it’s happening is important. Signs of stroke in women may include:
- Face dropping
- Numbness or weakness in limbs
- Difficulty speaking and confusion
- Sudden trouble seeing
- Sudden severe headache
- Dizziness and trouble walking
- Fatigue
- Nausea and vomiting
If you notice these sudden symptoms, call 911 immediately. Use the B.E.F.A.S.T. method to remember: Balance, Eyes, Face, Arms, Speech, Time to act.
Higher Risk for Women Veterans
You may face unique risk factors due to your military experience that increase your chance of stroke compared to civilian women, such as mental health concerns, unhealthy lifestyle habits you may have developed, and your increased risk for certain health conditions like high blood pressure. The risk factors for stroke include:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder or depression
- High blood pressure or cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Substance use
- Poor diet and exercise
- Family medical history and race
- History of preeclampsia
- Birth control or hormone therapy
For black women in particular, stroke is the leading cause of death. Black women are nearly twice as likely as white women to have a stroke and often experience it earlier.
Prevention and VA Support
The good news? Four in five strokes are preventable! Managing blood pressure is key, along with lifestyle habits like staying active, eating well, reducing stress, and limiting smoking or alcohol. Even focusing on just one or two of these changes at a time can make a big difference for your heart health.
Your VA health care team can provide lifelong risk reduction, risk assessments and screenings, blood pressure management, diagnosis and treatment, and healthy lifestyle support through resources for nutrition, exercise, mental health care, smoking/alcohol cessation, and more.
Don’t skip a beat on your heart or brain health! Give yourself one less thing to worry about and schedule your next checkup with your VA health care provider to discuss your risk for heart disease and stroke. Focusing on the American Heart Association’s Essential 8 can keep you healthier and reduce your risk for stroke and other heart conditions. This includes eating better, being more active, quitting tobacco, getting healthy sleep, managing weight, controlling cholesterol, managing blood sugar, and managing blood pressure.
Visit the Women Veterans Heart Health page or the American Stroke Association to learn more. Call, text, and chat with the Women Veterans Call Center (1-855-VA-WOMEN) to speak to a real person who can help you enroll, schedule an appointment, and connect you to care you can trust
Information provided by the US Department of Veteran Affairs Center for Women Veterans