The Women and Stroke collective argues that one in four women is the victim of a stroke in her life, but also that 80% of them are avoidable with good prevention.
Albane Buia will never forget this June 20, 2022. Victim of a stroke, this young mother remembers at the microphone of BFMTV this morning when, when she got out of her shower, she had unusual symptoms.
“My body let me down and I thought I was having vagal discomfort. I lay on my bed thinking that was it and in fact my condition deteriorated very quickly. She’s my daughter who found me almost lifeless on the bed,” she recalls.
“She immediately saw that there was a problem, I felt it but I couldn’t express it because I couldn’t speak,” she adds.
It was her husband who called the emergency services. The sequel, a first hospitalization where Albane was “thrombolysed.” “They put a liquid to dissolve the clot, it didn’t work. I was transferred and during the transfer it dissolved, there was no operation.” In total, three and a half months of rehabilitation in a day hospital were necessary for him to regain all of his abilities.
Leading cause of female death
Because stroke is a scourge that affects one in four women during her lifetime. This Tuesday, the foundation Women and Stroke is launching an awareness campaign, accompanied by the hashtag #AGIR on social networks, to raise awareness of strokes that affect women. A necessary prevention, since strokes are the first cause of female mortality.
“Very often, stroke is scary because it is synonymous with disability. However, we have a message of hope to convey, it is that we can put in place fairly simple measures that bear fruit, since in 80% of cases the stroke would be avoided”, confirms to BFMTV Sophie Amarenco, co-founder of Vaincre l’AVC and founder of the collective Femmes et AVC.
According to Pierre Amarenco, another co-founder of the collective and professor of neurology, it is important to adopt a healthy lifestyle to avoid vascular accidents, but not only. “It’s knowing your numbers, your blood pressure, your cholesterol, your blood sugar, it’s something you should know throughout your life,” he adds.
According to him, these figures are crucial at three key stages in a woman’s health life: when a contraceptive pill is prescribed, during pregnancy and at menopause.
The right things to do
According the ministry of health, several signs can warn of the arrival of a stroke: deformation of the mouth, weakness on one side of the body, in the leg or arm, or even speech disorders. “If you witness one of these 3 signs, react”, underlines the ministry, which advises to dial 15. Other signs, such as intense headaches or a decrease in vision, can also alert.
After contacting the Samu, the Ministry of Health advises to “lay the person down with a pillow under their head and leave them lying down until help arrives.” Also note the specific time of identification of symptoms, and do not give the victim food, drink or medicine.