Brain & Nervous System Stroke What You Should Know About Teenage Stroke By Heidi Moawad, MD facebook linkedin Heidi Moawad is a neurologist and expert in the field of brain health and neurological disorders. Dr. Moawad regularly writes and edits health and career content for medical books and publications. Learn about our editorial process Heidi Moawad, MD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Huma Sheikh, MD on February 08, 2020 facebook twitter linkedin Huma Sheikh, MD, is a board-certified neurologist, specializing in migraine and stroke, and affiliated with Mount Sinai of New York. Learn about our Medical Review Board Huma Sheikh, MD Updated on November 08, 2020 Print A stroke during the teenage years is uncommon. The most common stroke age group is adults over the age of 65. Young children with certain health problems and pregnant women can experience a small increase in stroke risk. The teenage years are a difficult time to manage in general, and teens who suffer from stroke and their parents face unique challenges when it does occur. Learn more about the nuts and bolts of teenage stroke as well as how teens can cope after a stroke. KatarzynaBialasiewicz / Getty Images The Most Common Causes of Teenage Stroke Teenagers who experience stroke often have one or more of these underlying medical problems that can predispose to blood clots and stroke. Sickle cell anemia is a hereditary blood condition that causes blood clots due to a process called 'sickling,' or a characteristic change in the shape of red blood cells in response to physical stresses such as infection. These blood clots can form anywhere in the body, and if the blood clots form in the brain or travel to the brain, they cause a stroke.Inborn blood vessel abnormalities such as brain aneurysms or arteriovenous malformations may clot, causing an ischemic stroke, but are more likely to burst, causing a hemorrhagic stroke.Heart disease or heart malformations can result in an irregular heartbeat, heart function problems or heart attacks, all of which can lead to stroke. Inborn heart disease is generally diagnosed at a very early age, but teenagers need to have regular health check-ups to detect and manage these types of problems.Hypertension is not very common in teenagers, and it is usually a sign of a medical illness such as a hormonal imbalance. Untreated hypertension can disrupt blood vessels and may cause heart disease or strokes.Infections, especially severe infections, can disrupt the body's immune system and blood cells to such an extent that increased blood clotting, resulting in a stroke, may occur. The best way to protect against serious infections is to stay up to date on immunizations.Migraines rarely have anything to do with strokes. But teens who suffer from migraines experience a slightly higher rate of stroke and should have a thorough medical evaluation to determine whether the migraines are truly just benign migraines or whether they are, in actuality, TIAs.Cancer increases the formation of blood clots due to changes in the body’s physiology and also as a consequence of some anti-cancer therapies.High cholesterol is relatively uncommon in teens, but there are some inborn metabolic disorders that can cause elevated blood cholesterol levels, which can, in turn, lead to heart disease or cerebrovascular disease, increasing the chances of a stroke.Hormone therapy, steroid use, birth control pills, and pregnancy all change the body’s hormones, blood vessel physiology and blood clotting functions, increasing the risk of stroke.Head trauma, concussions or other severe trauma trigger a disruption in the body, which can cause either ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes in young people.Drugs can cause strokes at any age. The use of cigarettes, energy drinks, caffeine pills or illegal recreational drugs are all huge risk factors for stroke. Symptoms It is unusual for a teenager to have a stroke, and such as teenagers might not complain about symptoms they are experiencing. If your teen has any of the symptoms below, he or she should get medical attention right away. Severe head painVision changesWeaknessConfusionTrouble speakingTrouble understandingUnusual behaviorDecreased alertnessTrouble walkingPoor balanceNumbnessSudden vision problemsAny change in neurological function A stroke in the teenage years is life-altering. Learn more about how parents and teenagers can get help and support. Rehabilitation after a stroke can help a teenager achieve the best outcome possible to lead a happy, healthy and productive life. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Stroke facts. Reviewed January 31, 2020 TeensHealth from Nemours. Strokes. Reviewed December 2018 Additional Reading Boelman C, Shroff M, Yau I, et al. Antithrombotic therapy for secondary stroke prevention in bacterial meningitis in children. J Pediatr. 2014;165(4):799-806. Debaun MR, Gordon M, Mckinstry RC, et al. Controlled trial of transfusions for silent cerebral infarcts in sickle cell anemia. N Engl J Med. 2014;371(8):699-710. Gelfand AA, Fullerton HJ, Jacobson A, et al. Is migraine a risk factor for pediatric stroke?. 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