Updated on 10/04/2022 at 2:20 p.m
- Strokes not only affect older people, younger people can also have a stroke.
- You can prevent it to some extent by getting enough exercise, not smoking, avoiding alcohol and eating healthily.
- Young people often recover well from a stroke.
Ballermann star Melanie Müller suffered a stroke in July – at just 34 years old. The right side of her face was then slightly paralyzed, and she has been since a tinnitus in the right ear, she reported. Also influencer Ina von Coupleontour had a stroke when she was very young and has been in the hospital ever since.
During a stroke, a part of the brain is no longer supplied with sufficient blood because a blood clot blocks a vessel. Bleeding in the brain is less common as a trigger. As a result, the nerve cells in the brain no longer get enough blood and therefore too little oxygen. This leads to paralysis and speech disorders.
Causes of stroke in young people
The risk of suffering a stroke increases with age – but there are always young people who suffer a stroke. What’s the reason?
“The most important Risk factor for stroke is high blood pressurefollowed by the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle such as lack of exercise, smoking and poor nutrition,” says Dr. Anna-Lena Hoffmann, Senior Physician at the Clinic for Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology at Schön Klinik Neustadt. “Unfortunately, these risk factors are also increasingly occurring in younger people .”
But there are also causes of strokesthat have nothing to do with lifestyle. You can also meet very healthy living people:
A vascular dissection tears the inner wall of a carotid artery. “Although this is a rare cause of stroke overall, it causes around 25 percent of strokes in under 45-year-olds,” says the expert. Such cracks can occur, for example, when the neck is turned or in the event of a traffic accident. Sometimes you don’t even know what the cause is.
Certain diseases such as antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) or congenital blood clotting disorders also increase the risk. “This can lead to thrombosis, miscarriages or even strokes at a young age,” says the doctor.
Another risk factor is a congenital hole in the heart. “This opening in the heart is normal in the unborn child during pregnancy and actually closes following birth, but a small hole remains in regarding 25 percent of all people,” says Hoffmann. If the hole is larger and there is possibly also a bulging of the inner wall of the heart, clots can form there and cause strokes. “Meanwhile, this little hole can be closed quite easily with a catheter examination if necessary.”
There are also some rare causes of strokes, but above all there is a common disease: migraines also have a slightly increased risk of stroke. “And last but not least, infectious diseases can also trigger strokes – the best known is certainly COVID-19 at the moment,” says the expert.
Young people often have milder symptoms
The size of a stroke depends on where a vessel is occluded. This can be determined with an X-ray examination of the head. “Both major and minor strokes are possible at any age,” says Hoffmann.
But there is one key difference: with a stroke of the same size, young people often experience milder symptoms than older people. This is because their brain recovers faster. “It often has less previous damage than in older people,” says the doctor.
prevention in everyday life
Actually, it is quite easy to prevent a stroke – at least with the causes that can be influenced. Hoffmann recommends at least 150 minutes of endurance sports per week and two 30-minute strength training sessions. “In addition, stay away from cigarettes and alcohol and eat as little meat as possible.”
If someone suffers from high blood pressure or has a very high cholesterol level, this should be treated consistently, especially in young people, in order to prevent consequential damage to the blood vessels. Anyone who suffers from migraines should also never smoke or take the pill. “This combination increases the risk of stroke,” says the doctor.
After a stroke, every minute counts
When it comes to stroke, timing is important at any age. “Within the first few hours, a stronger blood thinner can be administered to dissolve clots,” says the neurologist. If a larger blood vessel is blocked, it can be opened once more with a catheter.
“The quicker the brain is supplied with blood once more, the better, so every minute counts,” says the senior physician. Sometimes a so-called stent is placed in a vessel in the brain or neck to restore blood flow.
Treat the cause long-term
After such acute treatment, the long-term goal is to find the cause that triggered the stroke – and to treat those affected in such a way that, if possible, no further stroke occurs. “This usually includes a blood thinner,” says Hoffmann. Other risk factors should also be addressed.
If someone still suffers from limitations such as speech problems following the stroke, certain therapies can help them. Physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy are used. “The positive thing is that our brain can continue to regenerate for many months following a stroke,” says the doctor. “So it’s worth training.”
Young people often recover well
The prognosis for young people following a stroke is often good. “Of course it depends on the size of the stroke and how quickly it was treated,” says the expert. “But in general, young people often recover very well from strokes.”
Also read:
It is particularly helpful if people have previously exercised regularly. Then there is a certain basic fitness. “It also makes the rehabilitation process easier.”
Calcified and blocked arteries are not uncommon. These foods might be to blame.
