What can cause a heart attack at 16?

Key risk factors of having a heart attack at a young age include:

• Substance abuse or excessive alcohol use.
• Smoking.
• High blood pressure.
• High cholesterol levels.
• Lack of physical activity.
• Diabetes.
• Poor diet.

What are the first signs of a heart attack in a teenage girl?

Heart Attack Symptoms in Women

• Pain or discomfort in different parts of the upper body (back, neck, jaw, arms or stomach)
• Shortness of breath.
• Lightheadedness.
• Cold sweats.
• Fatigue.
• Nausea and vomiting.

Can a 16 year old have heart problems?

Looking at this topic more broadly, there are some troubling signs that heart attack rates are rising among people, especially women, under the age of 54. This while research shows that “heart attack rates in the U.S. have declined in recent decades among 35- to 74-year-olds,” according to the AHA.

How common are heart attacks at 16?

Although the risk of heart attack (myocardial infarction, or MI) in young people is relatively low, between 4\% and 10\% of heart attacks occur in those under 45.

Can a 16 year old have angina?

For starters, he was only 16 years old. Teenagers, even kids, can have coronary artery disease (CAD). But angina and heart attacks this young are rare. Still, some conditions can lead to hardening of the arteries in children and adolescents.

Can a 16 year old have heart failure?

It is also called congestive heart failure. Many people think that heart failure affects only adults, but people of all ages can have heart failure, including infants, children and teenagers. Heart failure in children is often caused by a congenital heart defect the child is born with.

Can your chest hurt if you sleep wrong?

Injury to the Chest Wall If the muscles and bones of your chest wall have been strained or injured in some way, any type of movement of your torso can cause pain. As a result, you may experience chest pain while you are sleeping, particularly if you frequently change positions or fall asleep on your chest.

Can a teenager have a heart attack?

This condition can also happen to everyone, not only teenagers. As I earlier said, the chance of developing a heart attack increases with age. The same goes for coronary artery spasm. Again, it is known that possible signs of heart attack are more visible at the age of 18.

What to do about a 16 year old suffering heart attack?

So when your child, who is probably 16 years old, comes back complaining about chest pain, don’t just conclude that he or she has a heart attack. You also shouldn’t feel relaxed either. Take the child to the hospital for a check-up to be sure it is not a heart problem. So that’s what you need to know about a 16 year old suffering heart attack.

Can you have a heart attack in your 20s?

Heart Attacks Can Strike Young Adults, So Know the Signs. Roughly 735,000 Americans experience a heart attack annually irrespective of age. And while most heart attack victims are middle-aged or older the average age for a first-time heart attack is 66 for men and 70 for women those in their 20s and 30s suffer them as well.

Do heart attacks only occur in old people?

Most people have a misconception that heart attack occurs only in people aged above 30 or 40, or in old people, and not in children or teenagers, but what most of them are unaware of is that heart attacks can occur in anyone.