A report says she had “tweaked her neck” when she fell during a photo shoot in late January 2016, and that she had tweeted that she had “pinched a nerve” a few days before being hospitalised.
It turns out the pain that the single mum of Mia, seven, was actually experiencing was far more serious than a pinched nerve.
But in a woman so young and so fit, no one made the connection to a stroke.
“It is a common misconception that only older people have strokes. A stroke can happen to anyone at any age, from newborn babies to the elderly,” says Sharon McGowan, chief executive officer of the National Stroke Foundation of Australia.
“There are currently around 440,000 stroke survivors in Australia, around thirty percent of which are of working age.
“It is vital that all Australians no matter how old they are know the signs of stroke. Acting fast when a stroke strikes is crucial, it could save your life and save you from a lifetime of disability.”
A stroke is one of Australia’s most lethal killers and needs urgent medical attention but most people don’t know what a stroke looks like.
When you have a stroke there is an interruption of blood to your brain, which causes parts of your brain to die.
According to TMZ, doctors told Katie’s family that she suffered a carotid artery dissection. It starts as a tear in the artery wall, which can be caused by an injury like a bad spill, and leads to a blood clot that blocks blood flow to the brain.
While this particular type of stroke is rare, strokes in general are on the rise in younger people, likely due to health factors like hypertension.
Sharon says F.A.S.T is the best acronym to remember when it comes to the signs of a stroke and what to do about it
Face – Has the person’s mouth drooped?
Arms – Can they lift both arms?
Speech – Is their speech slurred? Do they understand you?
Time – Time is critical
If you see any of these signs, call triple zero (000) immediately.
Two early clues in women under the age of 45 are dizziness or a severe headache, says David Newman-Toker, MD, associate professor in the department of neurology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the US.
Those symptoms can also be accompanied by hiccups, nausea, loss of language, changes in vision, strength or sensation.
“If you have a combination [of symptoms], then something’s more likely to be off,” he says.
Join stroke advocate Chris Bath and other expert panellists for a discussion on the impact of strokes on young Australians by clicking here.
