Have you had a stroke? Would you know for sure if you had? While stroke symptoms can be quite severe, some of the early signs can be subtle. Knowing how to recognize these signs can give you a better chance of survival and recovery.
A stroke occurs when a there is a blockage, such as a blood clot, in the blood vessels in the brain. When the blood is unable to deliver blood (which contains oxygen and nutrients to the brain) the cells there begin to die. The severity of the stroke is determined by the location and size of the blockage.
Although it’s impossible to predict who will have a stroke, there are some known risk factors. Some are uncontrollable, such as age, family history, gender or history of previous strokes. Some are controllable through lifestyle changes, such as weight, controlling blood pressure and diabetes. Certain medications, such as contraceptives, like NuvaRing birth control ring, which combine estrogen and progestin, can raise the risk for a stroke. Nuvaring side effects may increase the risk of developing blood clots which can travel through the bloodstream causing a stroke.
Strokes occur more frequently in men, but are more likely to be fatal when they occur in a woman. Stroke symptoms often are felt suddenly. Sudden weaknesses on one side of the body, blurred vision, or sudden slurred speech are signs of a stroke.
The American Stroke Association provides the following tool to help determine if someone is having a stroke:
Act F.A.S.T.
Face—ask the person to smile. Check to see if one side of the face droops.
Arms- have the person raise both arms and see if one drifts down.
Speech- have the person say or repeat a short sentence, and see if the words are slurred or are repeated incorrectly.
Time- if any of these symptoms are present, it is essential to call 911 or go to the hospital immediately. Within the first few hours of exhibiting stroke symptoms, doctors can administer medicines that can break up a blood clot, reducing damage to the brain.
Strokes in women do not always get diagnosed as quickly as strokes in men, possibly because strokes are still thought of as a man’s disease. In addition, women may have some different symptoms than men, so doctors may not immediately think that the cause of the illness is a stroke. In addition to the classic symptoms, women may also have severe headaches, chest pain, breathlessness, hiccups, nausea, or face and limb pain.
Your doctor can advise you on ways to reduce your risk of stroke.
If you have suffered a stroke after using the NuvaRing contraceptive, you may have important legal rights and should consider contacting a birth control attorney regarding your legal options.
Author Resource:
John Davidson is author of this article on Nuvaring Side Effects .
Find more information about Nuvaring Lawsuit here.
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