Beware strokes in the young too

Carolina Ortiz Menchaca woke up in May to what she thought was just a strong headache, but she couldn’t figure out why her hand and left side of her face were numb.

Aspirin briefly dulled the pain, but then it returned in force. She eventually had to be hospitalized at St. Luke’s Hospital where she learned she’d had a stroke.

The Zacatecas native was just a couple weeks shy of her 37th birthday. She was in disbelief.

“I didn’t expect that at all,” she said. “It was a complete surprise.”

Among the team treating Ortiz Menchaca was Dr. Karin Olds, medical director of the stroke program at St. Luke’s Hospital. While strokes are thought to be an ailment consequent of old age, more strokes are being identified in younger patients. It’s not the case that more young people are suffering strokes, but that the strokes are being correctly diagnosed in current medical practice.

“I don’t think we’re missing strokes as often in young people now,” Olds said.

Olds said that in some cases even babies can have strokes.

Certain factors like poor diet, lack of exercise and drug use can raise the risk of stroke incidence, but Olds said there are also underlying genetic factors that can drive the issue as in Ortiz Menchaca’s case. The patient’s weakened artery walls and subsequent stroke was primarily a consequence of her heredity, Olds said.

But Ortiz Menchaca said the episode has made her consider her stress load and nutrition more serious.

“I’m trying to take this with more calm. I stress myself out very easily,” she said adding she’s eating responsibly and exercising regularly.

Ortiz Menchaca is rebuilding coordination of her left side. She has diminished use of her left eye and for the moment is not driving.

Olds said her quick decision to summon helped contain the stroke’s damage. “In her case … most important was the fact that she got help, the fact that (her family) reacted fast,” she said.