It is not the first time this has happened. Last year, a similar response to the death of toddler Maddie Spohr spurred so much outreach and awareness for Maddie's blogging parents that sites crashed under the weight of it all.
It is also not the first stroke for Anissa Mayhew, who survived a smaller one four years ago. Sadly, this is not the first young woman I've known who has fallen victim to a sudden, scary bleed in the brain.
Early this year, a 48-year-old mother of three and stepmother of six more, a mentor and friend of mine, suffered a debilitating stroke while she was working from home. In sharing my request for prayers and support for her, I heard many more stories of young women who'd been through something similar. These friends of friends and co-workers and loved ones, had strokes much earlier than anyone would expect, some in childbirth and all living pretty healthy, active lives.
It terrifies me. Not just to know these women, either virtually or in person, but to really see the possibility and consequences of suffering from what many of consider to be an elderly person's medical condition.
As scary as it is to read the statistics, we need to know what we, as young women or people who care for young women, are facing when it comes to stroke risks. Not only do the studies and numbers underline that strokes are a very real, very serious medical issue for our segment of the population, it will also help us to encourage and empower one another to be aware of the symptoms and lower our own risk as much as possible.
Here are few key things every woman needs to know about strokes.
- The chances of a young woman having a stroke are small but the consequences can be dire. For every 100,000 women of childbearing age, 4.4 will have an ischemic stroke. Ischemic strokes account for 85% of all cases. More than 250,000 women between the ages of 18 and 44 will have some kind of stroke. Stroke is the most common cause of long-term disability.
- Women's stroke survival rate is concerning. Sixty percent of women who suffer from a stroke do not survive. Although more men have strokes, they are less likely to die as a result. Young women are more likely to die of a stroke than their chances of dying from both breast cancer and AIDS combined.
- Age makes a difference. One study showed that there is a comparable rate of women and men who have strokes between the ages of 35 - 44 and 55 - 64. However, in the 45 - 54 age range, women are twice as likely to have a stroke than men. This startling disparity is thought to be caused by increased waist size and heart disease among women of this age. Researchers say reversing this surge of mid-life strokes for women will require greater attention to women's cardiovascular health beginning in the mid-30s.
- High blood pressure is not only a worry for seniors. The number one stroke risk factor for women is high blood pressure. This is especially problematic for women who have already had a heart attack or stroke. The tricky part is that many women are not aware that they have high blood pressure, making it imperative to have it checked regularly.
- Birth control and stroke risk are still being studied. While the link between taking birth control pills and stroke has been hotly debated by doctors and researchers for years, recent analysis of multiple studies shows only a slightly increased risk for women who use oral contraception. The risk goes up significantly, however, if women pair the pill with smoking, high blood pressure or a history of migraines. Women's chances of suffering from a stroke are three times higher if they take oral contraception and also smoke than the classic red flags of having high blood pressure or diabetes. Having high cholesterol also ups a young woman's chance of having a stroke.
- Family history is relevant. Young women with parents or sibilings who have had a stroke have a higher risk of having a stroke themselves.
- Breastfeeding may help protect you. A study of nearly 140,000 women released this year reported that women who breastfeed their babies may lower their risk for developing a stroke later in life. Women who breastfed for at least a month were shown to have lower blood pressure, healthier cholesterol levels, and were less likely to have diabetes. Women who breastfed for at least a year reduced their chances of getting heart disease by ten percent.
- Our symptoms are different and sometimes go unrecognized. The symptoms of stroke in women are not exactly the same as in men. Female stroke victims report severe headaches, pain in the limbs and face, and disorientation.
- We have some control over our risk. As with many other medical conditions, the risk of stroke can be controlled, treated, or lowered by being active, eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and not smoking. It is also important to carefully tend to and complete treatment for any heart complications or disease, treat sickle cell disease and diabetes as directed by a doctor, and monitor cholesterol and blood pressure. Controlling stress and alcohol intake may also make a difference.
What can you do now? You can talk to your doctor about your own risk and be sure to ask about your own blood pressure and cholesterol history. Talk to family members to have a better understanding about how many of your parents, grandparents, or other relatives have suffered from strokes. You can also make a commitment to boost your heart health by eating better, moving more, drinking less, and quitting smoking -- all things you can start today.
You can also reach out to organizations like the American Heart Association to volunteer your time to the cause of stroke awareness and prevention.
Finally, you can support people like Anissa Mayhew, who is fighting for her life right now.
Anissa Mayhew is in intensive care and updates are carefully being relayed from her husband to close friends (including Maddie Spohr's mom), who are posting them for anxiously waiting bloggers and friends. She is the mother of three children, and began blogging five years ago when her youngest daughter was diagnosed with cancer.Donations are being collected through PayPal and offers to provide other assistance to the family are being organized here.
Read more:
