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5+ Early Stroke Warnings in Women That Are Easy to Miss
Men, however, are far less likely to report chest discomfort as part of their stroke experience, making this another symptom that often flies under the radar for women.
5. Severe and unexplainable headaches.
A sudden, intense headache can be one of the earliest signs of a stroke, but for women, it often presents differently. Women are more prone to migraines, which means that a stroke-related headache might be dismissed as just another bad migraine. However, unlike a typical migraine, a stroke headache comes on suddenly, is extremely severe, and doesn’t improve with rest or medication.
Men, while still susceptible to stroke-related headaches, report them less frequently and are more likely to experience other neurological symptoms first.
6. Difficulty swallowing or a dry mouth.
Some women report trouble swallowing (dysphagia) or an unusually dry mouth during the onset of a stroke. This is especially likely if the stroke affects the part of the brain that controls the throat and tongue muscles. It might feel like choking on food or struggling to swallow water — often dismissed as dehydration or anxiety.
Because men are less likely to report this specific symptom, it doesn’t get the attention it deserves as a possible stroke warning in women.
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