Alison Hallworth was 44 when she had a stroke.
The mother of two did not have the usual symptoms: her face was not drooping and her speech was not diffused.
“I suffered incredible pain,” Hallworth said.
Alison Hallworth was 44 years old when she had a stroke, but the mother of two did not have the usual symptoms such as a drooping face or confused speech that made it difficult for her to recognize. (9 News)
“It was a bit like being hit repeatedly thousands of times per second by an iron bar at the base of your skull.
“It was just unbearable.”
Hallworth now shares his story as a warning to others that stroke does not always present in these known symptoms.
“I’m lucky the bleeding stopped on its own,” she said, after it took several hours to diagnose her.
Approximately 55,000 Australians suffer a stroke each year, with the same risk as men and women.
However, a new study has found that the way they present themselves can be different depending on gender.
Dr. Cheryl Carcel of the George Institute for Global Health said women are more likely to have other symptoms of stroke. (9 News)
Dr. Cheryl Carcel of the George Institute for Global Health said women are more likely to have other symptoms, compared to men.
“These include headaches, anxiety (and) fatigue, mental changes, and therefore delay your admission to a stroke center,” he said.
A study of 200,000 people hospitalized for a stroke in NSW for 13 years found that women under the age of 70 were more likely than men to be misdiagnosed before or when they arrive at the hospital.
Experts say this can make a big difference in your recovery.
Hallworth now shares his story as a warning to others that stroke does not always present in these known symptoms. (9 News)
“Women are more likely to have a disability and have a lower quality of life,” Dr. Carcel said.
The study calls for health professionals to be educated about gender differences in the presentation of stroke.
In a statement, Ambulance NSW said all of its paramedics are highly trained to detect symptoms, but will look into the investigation closely.