When the hiccups could signal a serious health problem

Stroke is the third-leading cause of death for women in the U.S., but most women may not know the stroke symptoms and risk factors that are unique to females.

Researchers at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center in Columbus surveyed 1,000 women about stroke.

Among the findings:

• Only 11 percent knew birth control pills, migraine headaches, lupus, pregnancy and hormone replacement therapy increased their risk for stroke.
• Only 10 percent knew that hiccups with unusual chest pain were a stroke symptom experienced only by women.
• Nearly half of all women said they don’t know what problems females face after stroke. In addition to nerve damage and problems swallowing, depression is common among women and often keeps them from getting the rehabilitation vital to their recovery.

“I’ll never have a stroke”
As with heart attacks, women don’t really see themselves becoming stroke victims, Dr. Diana Greene-Chandos, a neurologist at Wexner, said in a press release.

“Women do not think they are going to have a stroke. They think of it as a man’s disease,” said Greene-Chandos. “You have to know when you are having a stroke, you have to recognize that it’s a stroke and you have to get to the emergency room and receive the medication. Women shouldn’t ignore their symptoms or hope they will go away because they may lose their opportunity to receive acute treatment.”

Deadly assumptions
But data show women are more likely to die from stroke than men. Of the 137,000 stroke deaths that occur every year in the U.S., 60 percent are female, according to the American Stroke Association.

The earlier women realize they might be having a stroke, the earlier they can get time-critical treatment, including clot-busting medications that can prevent brain damage and reduce their risk of death.

According to the National Stroke Association, stroke symptoms unique to women include:

1. Fainting or loss of consciousness
2. Difficulty breathing, including shortness of breath
3. General weakness
4. Confusion, disorientation or unresponsiveness
5. Agitation
6. Sudden changes in behavior
7. Hallucinations
8. Nausea or vomiting
9. Pain
10. Seizures
11. Hiccups

Men and women share some risk factors, including high blood pressure, diabetes, sedentary lifestyle and high cholesterol levels.