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There are a number of diseases that are usually associated with old age, like stroke and heart attack, but the truth is that a stroke has the potential to strike at any age. Kimberly Eckard learned this the hard way at only 21 years old.
Background Information on Stroke
Nearly 800,000 people are impacted by strokes each year, making it the fourth leading cause of death in America. But more than death, strokes are known to cause long-term disabilities more often than any other disease. Though strokes are more common in people over 55 and in African Americans, they can really happen to anyone.
A stroke can occur in two different ways. An ischemic stroke is caused by a blood clot that blocks oxygen from reaching the brain, while a hemorrhagic stroke is instigated by a blood vessel that breaks and bleeds into the brain. The first is the more common type, while the latter is the more deadly. If a stroke does not cause death, it can cause paralysis, difficulty thinking and speaking, and emotional challenges due to brain trauma.
Signs of a Stroke
When 21-year-old Kimberly Eckard suffered a stroke, she didn’t know what was happening. All she knew is that her chore of folding laundry was interrupted by the feeling of her fingers slowly going numb. Her body began to felt weak, and as she went to lie down, she passed out. Amazingly, Eckert woke up on her own and had the presence of mind to call her mother. But when her mother answered the phone, Eckert realized she couldn’t form complete words and sentences.
Eckert experienced many of the most common stroke symptoms, like sudden weakness and numbness in the face, arm, or leg, sudden trouble speaking or understanding speech, and a sudden severe headache. A stroke can also be recognized by trouble seeing out of one or both eyes and difficulty walking.
Eckert’s message to others after her incident is to remain aware of stroke symptoms and head to the emergency room immediately, rather than a family doctor as she did. The quicker treatment is administered after a stroke, the better the chances of a complete recovery.