Actress Aubrey Plaza Revealed She Had a Stroke at Age 20: How It Happened and Signs to Look out For
Actress Aubrey Plaza – known for her role as April in the hit sitcom Parks and Recreation – recently revealed that she suffered from a stroke at just 20 years old, prompting fans to consider their own health given her young age at the time.
Recalled Plaza: "It was wild. The craziest thing about it ― and kind of the coolest thing about it ― it happened mid-sentence."
“I took the train to Astoria [in Queens, New York] to have lunch with my friends. I walked into their apartment. I hadn’t even taken my jacket off and in mid-sentence, it just happened. That’s when I was paralyzed.”
It lasted for about a minute, during which the actress recalled losing her “motor skills really briefly. The freakiest thing was I forgot how to talk."
While on her way to the hospital, Plaza said that she “thought I was on drugs because they kept asking me if I'd taken drugs, and I hadn't. I hadn't really put anything into my body that day except for birth control.”
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“[Then they] asked me to put my right hand on my left knee. And I couldn't do it. I was confused about right and left. And I think that's when everyone realized, oh, like, she had a stroke."
Plaza is currently 40 years old as of publication and is best known for her additional work in The White Lotus and Dirty Grandpa, and revealed that since her stroke she’s “had some minor — they call them TIAs, which are transient ischemic attacks, that are tiny little strokes."
Though Plaza talks about her experience in stride, there are a number of signs to watch out for when it comes to your own health. Here, we break down signs and symptoms of a stroke, types of strokes and how to best prevent the medical emergency from happening to you.
What are the signs of a stroke?
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the signs of a stroke are quite similar for men and women. They are:
Trouble seeing out of one or both eyes
Loss of balance and coordination
Dizziness
Speech slurred
Trouble walking
Sudden headache
A sudden onset of mass confusion
Trouble speaking or understanding speech
Weakness in arm, leg and face — mainly on one side of the body
The CDC recommends calling 911 right away if you have any of these symptoms.
How do strokes happen?
Strokes happen after the blood flow to the brain is disrupted. They are more common for adults over the age of 55, and while men are more likely to experience them, women are more likely to die from them.
Some risk factors for strokes include having high blood pressure, having a family history of strokes, being overweight, suffering from sleep apnea, excess smoking or drinking, people with poorly managed diabetes, stress, depression and anxiety.
According to the Mayo Clinic, though, “Fewer Americans die of stroke now than in the past.”
What to do if someone near you has a stroke?
The first thing to do if someone around you has a stroke is to call 911 and make a note of the time the symptoms listed above begin to occur. CPR can be performed if necessary, but experts do not recommend feeding the person food, giving them a drink or administering any sort of medication – above all, do not let them fall asleep or talk you out of calling for help.
How to prevent a stroke
Preventative measures for a stroke, according to the Mayo Clinic, include eating healthy, exercising regularly and maintaining healthy cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels. They also recommend not smoking, drinking in moderation and visiting your primary care physician.
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