Snapchat may have saved the life of an 18-year-old girl. According to information from USA Todaylast March Lexi Edy, a young woman from Ohio did not feel well when she sent clichés of herself to her friends. Who confirmed his concerns and deciphered the sign of a vascular accident.
“”It looks like you are having a stroke. How are you ?“”
On March 10, 2025, Lexi Eddy saw what she thinks is a simple working day. Until his body begins to shirk. She feels several signs of weakness during the day, and also falls from her chair. As usual, she also documents her day via her favorite network, Snapchat, to her friends. It is on this one that answers are starting to reach him, especially because of his face which also seems to be in one side.
“It looks like you are doing a stroke. That’s okay?” send him several friends, who advise him to go see a doctor.
The teenager, who in the meantime called her mother, was finally transported in an emergency to the hospital. The diagnosis is confirmed: it has just had a stroke (stroke). A rare medical emergency at his age, but not impossible.
Clear signs … but still unknown among young people
Lexi has no cardiovascular history, if not a concussion a few months earlier. That day, she just felt a little dizzy, then suffered from an intense headache.
To these ailments are therefore added a hand that no longer responds and his face. But without the intervention of his friends, maybe she would not have been afraid.
“We could see that I did not realize what happened to me”, She confides today on a daily basis.
However, the speed with which it was taken care of counted. Transported to hospital, a scanner immediately revealed an occlusion of the average cerebral artery, caused by a clot. The girl then received an intravenous injection of Tenecéplase (TNK), a thrombolytic medication which dissolves the clot and restoring blood circulation. “”She reacted very well to treatment, the symptoms improved within 24 hours “for his part added Dr. Yousef Mohammad, neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic.
A “hole in the heart”, probable cause of his stroke
The fact remains that a stroke at this young age is rare, but not impossible. To understand the origin of this accident, a specific assessment was carried out on the teenager. The examinations revealed an abnormal communication between the cardiac cavities, called Permeable oval foramenan anomaly present in 20 to 25 % of the population.
In Lexi, doctors believe that this malformation is at the origin of stroke in 88 % of similar cases. A non -invasive intervention is scheduled for June. It will consist in closing this “hole” using a device inserted via a catheter.
Lexi will then have to avoid any intense physical effort for a few days and undergo anticoagulant treatment for at least a year.
The importance of recognizing signs, even among young people
Stroke symptoms are not always limited to facial paralysis or speech disorders. As Dr. Gérald Kierzek, emergency doctor and medical director of True Medical in a previous subject already mentioned, other more discreet – and therefore sometimes neglected signs – can reveal a stroke, especially in young people. Because it all depends on the area of the affected brain.
- Thus, a sudden vertigo accompanied by a brutal loss of balance Maybe a first clue. “As a drunkenness for no apparent reason, should alert. These symptoms are often confused with simple hypoglycemia or fleeting fatigue”he specifies;
- Another demonstration not to ignore: a transient visual disorder. “Like a blindness of an eye for a few seconds – what is called fleeting amaurosis – or a double vision, even a fuzzy visual field, is also a possible sign of stroke”;
- THE languagetoo, can be disturbed. If you are suddenly confused, unable to speak or formulate your thoughts, be careful. “Many patients say: ‘I knew what I meant, but the words did not come out’,” adds the doctor;
- Some people also report A brutal and very intense headachesometimes isolated. “Described as ‘the worst headache of my life’ is an alert signal, especially in the event of a hemorrhagic stroke,” alerts the specialist;
- Sometimes it’s a Unilateral muscular weakness which manifests itself. “Like the impossibility of lifting the two arms in a symmetrical way or a leg that skids while walking, must make one think of a stroke. Sometimes, it manifests itself fleeting, as in a transient ischemic accident: for example, we let go of his comb while leaving,” explains Dr. Kierzek;
- More rarely, a persistent hiccups Accompanied by nausea can betray a stroke located at the brainstem. “It is a rare but possible symptom,” he adds.
Even brief, these signs should trigger an immediate reaction. “”Even if the symptoms disappear in 5 minutes, it may be an AI (transient ischemic accident), and it is also an emergency!“Insists the doctor.
Stroke does not affect seniors
Furthermore, the received idea that strokes are reserved for the elderly is tenacious, but false. “The stroke is not reserved for the elderly. In reality, 15 % of strokes concern people under the age of 50, and even children!” underlines Dr. Kierzek.
In young people, certain risk factors are well identified. “Estrogenic and tobacco contraception combination is particularly dangerous”he warned. He also quotes “Drug consumption like cocaine or amphetamines “, but also” COVVI-19 (which) increases the risk of thrombosis, which can lead to a stroke “.
Among the rarer causes: Vascular malformations not detectedor even a arterial dissectionwhich can occur after an accident or a simple sudden movement.
React quickly: the protocol quickly
In case of suspicion of stroke, it must be act without delay. The protocol quickly remains the reference:
- Vparalyzed isage
- Incapacity to move a member
- TWord rubles
- EXTRME Emergency
You must immediately call the 15 for suitable support.
And never underestimate unusual symptoms. “Sudden vertigo, blurred vision or unexplained nausea must alert”still recalled Dr. Kierzek.