A woman suffered a stroke while practicing the "banana" yoga pose.
After 5 minutes of doing the handstand, this woman suddenly felt blurred vision and lost control of her hands.
Share withSWNSRebecca Leigh said that 2 years ago she did a handstand (a pose with her head propped up and her legs raised in the air) to post on her personal page. The headache came after only 5 minutes of handstand, right after the feeling of blurred vision and loss of control of her hands.
“I used to suffer from headaches and migraines as a teenager so I know this pain is different,” said the 40-year-old.
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Rebecca Leigh ate healthily and exercised diligently but suffered a stroke while doing yoga. Photo:Fox News |
Leigh's eyelids then drooped and her pupils changed in size, and she was taken to the hospital.
"The doctor came into the room and told me I had had a stroke," Leigh recalls. "My husband Kevin and I both laughed because we thought he was joking. There was no way someone my age in good health could have a stroke. But the doctor responded to my laughter with silence. His face said it all."
A CT scan showed Leigh had torn her right carotid artery, causing a blood clot to travel to her brain and cause a stroke. Leigh also had a brain aneurysm.
Carotid artery tears are most commonly caused by neck trauma. Physical activities such as skating, swimming, dancing, yoga, giving birth, or even sneezing can cause a carotid artery tear.
Carotid artery tears can cause headaches, eye pain, scalp pain, neck pain, drooping eyelids and changes in pupil size, numbness or weakness on one side of the body, difficulty swallowing, and many other symptoms. Stroke patients who have had a carotid artery tear are often prescribed anti-clotting medications and may need surgery.
After being admitted to the hospital, Leigh continued to suffer from headaches for weeks and had to avoid exposure to light. She was also unable to get out of bed or eat.
More than a year later, Leigh’s health has stabilized, but she has some memory loss and occasional headaches. However, the woman is determined to resume yoga, starting with breathing exercises.
"I know I'm never going to be the same again," Leigh says. "But just being able to touch my toes makes me happy."
