Teacher, 28, Started Slurring Her Words in Class. She Learned She Was Having a Stroke

[appalachiablue]

13. She had a PFO, a hole in her heart per the article. But Covid

is causing strokes as well and more health issues.
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.. Stroke in young people: When stroke patients are younger and do not have traditional risk factors, doctors run tests to determine what caused it.

> In Boukas’ case, she learned she had a patent foramen ovale (PFO), which is a hole in her heart.

“When the babies are in the womb the lungs are not … functional so there has to be a conduit for the blood to travel from the right to left side,” Dr. Sahil Khera, interventional director of the Structural Heart Program at Mount Sinai Hospital, told TODAY. “When kids are born, these holes or more specifically tunnel like openings, close off”

But in about 25% to 30% of people, that hole doesn’t close. Most people never know and lead normal healthy lives. But for some, a PFO causes stroke and needs to be repaired. Without repair, clots can pass through the right side of the heart to the left, leading to a stroke.
“In those patients, closure is beneficial,” Khera said. “For the majority of the population, these are benign conduits.”

> Boukas underwent a minimally invasive procedure where Khera inserted a device that closes the hole, which reduced her chance of having another stroke.

“It definitely has profound consequences for the patient because you had a first stroke at a young age and the last thing you want is a second,” he explained. “Anytime a young patient presents with a stroke, they should have a cardiovascular evaluation. That is so imperative. It’s not for the stroke at that time. It’s more for preventing a recurrence if you do find the attributable cause was PFO.”

Returning to the classroom: Boukas had to do physical and occupational therapy and felt surprised, at times, by how long recovery took. “I remember the first time I walked around the block around my house. I was really stubborn and wanted to do it even though I probably shouldn’t have,” she said. “I remember crying on the sidewalk because it was like how could I not walk a block?” Her therapists and doctors kept encouraging her and focusing on all the progress she’s made...