Stroke is a serious event that can occur during pregnancy. Of every 100,000 pregnant women, two to 70 of them will experience a stroke, depending on the source of information. This may make strokes look rare, but this indicates that every year several thousand women experience a stroke either during pregnancy or in the first few weeks after birth. More importantly, stroke causes 10% of deaths related to pregnancy.
About 10% of strokes occur before labor, while 40% occur during the birth process. The rest occurs after the birth of the baby, generally within six weeks postpartum.
Symptoms during pregnancy
In general, the symptoms of a stroke during or after pregnancy are similar to other stroke symptoms. However, some specific stroke symptoms seen during or after pregnancy can vary slightly from general strokes. Among them:
- Headache: headaches that don't want to disappear may be a sign of a stroke. This is common in strokes caused by cerebral venous thrombosis. Usually these headaches are more intense, or last longer, than general headaches. You should see a doctor if you experience this headache accompanied by double vision, weakness, numbness and general symptoms of stroke. Another type of headache that you should always be aware of and immediately go to hospital if it happens is a headache ‘thunderclap.’
- Double vision: double vision is a rare symptom of stroke, but can occur in cerebral vein thrombosis or brain aneurysm. In both cases, it is always accompanied by a headache.
- Dizziness or vertigo: High blood pressure can greatly affect blood vessel function in the back of the brain, some of which control balance. And women who suffer from high blood pressure during pregnancy can suffer a stroke - whose first symptoms are dizziness and / or vertigo. This stroke can also cause nausea or vomiting.
- Blurred vision: because the occipital lobe, which processes the visual sensors in the brain located in the area behind the brain, high blood pressure in pregnant women can also cause blurred vision. This usually occurs as a result of a reversible syndrome posterior leukoencephalopathy.
- Seizures: Seizures can occur in any type of stroke. In fact, seizures are the first sign of a small number of all types of strokes. However, seizures can be a common symptom of reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy and hemorrhagic strokes, both of which can occur if you have high blood pressure. Although rare, these strokes can take place either during or after pregnancy.
- Confusion or lethargy: heavy bleeding or swelling in the brain can cause extreme sleepiness and / or confusion. This can occur due to reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy, cerebral venous thrombosis, high blood pressure, and other forms of stroke in pregnancy.
It is important to ask for medical help if you experience these symptoms, so the doctor can decide the cause.
Triggers
Some risk factors for stroke in pregnancy are the same as triggers in other strokes, namely older age, obesity, migraines, smoking, and heart disease. But some risk factors are specific to pregnancy, including gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension (high blood pressure), and increased bleeding after childbirth. Hypertension is especially important, considering that one-third of strokes associated with pregnancy are associated with high blood pressure.