A Kansas man who had a stroke aged 28 and 33 had a heart condition that affects 25 percent of people
A Kansas man who suffered two strokes in his 20s and 30s had a heart condition that affects 25 percent of Americans.
Bill Ramsey, 50, of Wichita, Kansas, was just 28 when he had his first event, though he didn’t know what was happening at the time.
Mr Ramsey woke up the morning after a night out and the next thing he knew was ‘wake up and lay on the floor’. And I had no idea how I got there.’
He thought he was having a blackout. “I’d been out the night before and I was like, ‘Wow, I just need to stop partying so hard.’ I really thought so,’ Mr Ramsey said.
Although the risk of stroke increases with age, more and more young people suffer from it. A study last year found that Americans ages 18 to 44, for example, had the greatest increase in stroke rates.
Bill Ramsey, pictured here with his wife, Mary, suffered two strokes at ages 28 and 33. He now advocates seeking immediate medical attention and knowing the signs, regardless of your age
Mr. Ramsey, of Wichita, Kansas, originally thought he had partied too hard and passed out. However, an MRA test later revealed that he had suffered two strokes within five years
For about six months, Mr. Ramsey had trouble sleeping, but he didn’t think he needed to see a doctor.
“I was a stubborn young man and didn’t go to the doctor,” he said. “I just thought I was having a hard time.”
He had been a competitive bodybuilder even until he was 25.
Five years later, Mr. Ramsey was traveling with his wife when he developed more troubling symptoms. A firecracker went off in my head. I saw a bright white firework and everything went black.
It didn’t hurt. There was no sound, there was no pain. But I knew I was getting ready for a blackout, so I just looked at the bed. And indeed, when I came to, I was lying in bed. My left side of my body tingled so hard that my teeth hurt. I remember thinking I wanted to pull my teeth out because they hurt so much.’
Until the age of 25, Mr. Ramsey was a competitive bodybuilder
Mr. Ramsey was also completely blind. He wasn’t sure what to make of it and didn’t seek medical help.
“It never occurred to me that this was a stroke,” Mr Ramsey said. His eyesight fluctuated for two days before he saw a doctor, who diagnosed him with a stroke through a magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) test. MRA is a type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test that looks at blood vessels in the body.
The test also revealed his first stroke which he had suffered five years earlier.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, someone in the US has a stroke every 40 seconds. That’s almost 800,000 people a year. Nearly one in four has had a stoke before. It is also the fifth leading cause of death in the US.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute lists the most serious risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, smoking, brain aneurysms and conditions that cause inflammation.
Ramsey was also shocked when the battery of tests revealed he had a congenital heart defect called patent foramen ovale (PFO), a small hole in the heart between the left and right atria. This ensemble exists in all human fetuses, although it closes after birth in most people.
The condition affects about 25 percent of adults in the US American Heart Association estimates.
Most patients with PFO suffer, according to the AHA, but it significantly increases the risk of strokes. This is because PFO can cause blood clots, which can travel to the brain and cause a stroke.
Mr Ramsey (pictured here with one of his daughters) has credited his family with helping him recover from two strokes
Mr Ramsey (pictured here, five years after his second stroke) struggled with memory loss and vision problems in the months following the event
His son was also born with a hole in his heart, though he’s not sure if it was PFO.
After his second stroke, Mr. Ramsey suffered from short term amnesia. He lost his place in conversation and forgot what he was saying.
“I went to my high school reunion that year, and some of the people I’d known since I was about four years old I just didn’t know who they were. Now it is, but it took a while,” he said.
Although the risk of stroke doubles every 10 years after reaching age 55, as many as one in seven people aged 15 to 49 will experience the event.
a 2022 study in the journal Stroke found an 11 percent increase over the past 15 years in intracerebral and bleeding strokes, also known as ICH strokes.
The biggest increase was among Americans ages 18 to 44, with an increase of 38 percent.
“What’s really surprising is how many people still believe you can’t have a stroke if you’re under 50,” Ramsey said. “Everyone thinks stroke is just for the elderly, and it just isn’t.”
Mr. Ramsey has been to six continents and more countries than he can count. He is now planning his next cruise. “I’m going to experience everything I can when I can. I’m not waiting,’ he said
Mr. Ramsey still has lasting effects from the strokes, including loss of sensation on the left side of his face and black spots in his peripheral vision. “I call them acceptable losses. It could have been so much worse,” he said.
A report from the Cooper Institute found a steady rise in stroke hospitalizations among young people
At a younger age, men are more likely than women to have a stroke. However, as they age, women are at greater risk, as they tend to live longer. The CDC suggests that one in five women between the ages of 55 and 75 will have a stroke.
Ischemic stroke is the most common type of stroke, according to the CDC. These occur when the pathway between the blood vessels and the brain is blocked by fatty deposits called plaques that cause blockages.
This happens as a result of cardiovascular disease, when blood vessels become narrowed or blocked over time by fatty deposits known as plaques – a process known as atherosclerosis.
A variant of these events are transient ischemic strokes, also referred to as ‘mini-strokes’ or ‘warning strokes’. These only block blood flow for a short time, often just five minutes.
Although short-lived, they serve as warning signs of a future stroke and are considered a medical emergency.
The CDC estimates that more than a third of people who experience these types of events and do not receive treatment will have a massive stroke within a year. As many as 10 to 15 percent of people will have a major stroke within three months of a warning event.
Although it’s been 17 years since his last stroke, Mr. Ramsey still has lasting health effects. He has lost much of the feeling on his left side, which also droops when he gets tired.
He also has dark spots in his vision that worsen in bright lights, so he has to keep his office dark.
“I call them acceptable losses. It could have been so much worse,” Ramsey said.
The American Heart Association has a set of guidelines called FAST for recognizing a stroke. F stands for “face drooping,” such as one side of the patient’s face that feels numb or their smile seems uneven. A stands for “arm weakness,” or one arm that floats down when the person is both raised. S stands for ‘speech problems’ or slurred speech. T stands for time to call 911.
“If you get to the hospital quickly, they can reverse a lot of the damage from a stroke. Don’t be me and wait two days. If you get there in two hours… you’ll be in much better shape. Your damage goes down a lot,” Mr. Ramsey said.
He now focuses on getting the most out of life. He’s visited six continents and more countries than he can count, and he doesn’t plan to stop traveling anytime soon.
‘I live for today. My future is today because I don’t know when anything can happen again. I’ve realized that if you have the means, do it now,’ Mr Ramsey said. “Don’t wait, because it might not be there.
“I’m going to experience everything I can when I can. I’m not waiting.’