BOSTON -- Cardiovascular disease can also mean a stroke -- a blocked or damaged artery, which keeps blood from getting to the brain.

NewsCenter 5's Heather Unruh said that while anyone can suffer a stroke, more women die from strokes than men.

Recognizing the warning signs can mean the difference between life and death -- as it may have been for stroke victim Sherry Feibel.

"When I'm out there running, I just feel so lucky that I'm able to actually run," Feibel said.

Feibel is a victim of something most associate with old age. Three years ago, when she was just 31, she had a stroke.

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"I woke up one morning and my whole left side was numb," Feibel said. "I decided to go to work anyways. When I was at work, every time I'd type of on the computer, I'd look up on the screen and I was typing the wrong letters."

Without any notice or family history of cardiovascular problems, Feibel's major neck artery had torn and caused a lack of blood flow to the brain.

"They told me at that point if I hadn't come in when I did, I would have had a massive stroke and died," Feibel said.

It was a call to her doctor that may have saved Feibel's life, Unruh said. She didn't know the signs of stroke at the time, but she trusted her instincts, something experts say more women need to do.

"Because we have this preconception that men are most likely to get strokes, bystanders are also less likely to call 911 when a woman is experiencing these symptoms because they don't think it might be a stroke," Massachusetts General Hospital Dr. Lee Schwamm said. "They think it must be something else."

The warning signs of a stroke include:

• Unexplained weakness or numbness on one side of the body
• Unexplained headache
• Falling or dizziness
• A change in ability to speak or understand what is said to us

Women who take oral contraceptives and smoke are also at higher risk of stroke. For some women, the physical strain of childbirth can also increase the risk.

Once symptoms are felt, it's crucial to get help immediately, Unruh said.

"There are treatments for stroke that can dramatically alter the course of someone's life," Schwamm said. "But it only works if it's given within the first three hours of the start of symptoms."

Feibel has some numbness in one foot, but is otherwise fine. She is now training to run in a major marathon to raise money for stroke research.

"You know your body, no one else does, "Feibel said. "If you're not feeling right, you should definitely go to a doctor."