Hospitalization rates for young stroke patients has increased over 40% in the last decade, according to the National Stroke Association, and one doctor says risk factors varying from chronic conditions to “Beauty Parlor Syndrome” are to blame.

“I thought something was wrong with the lights because I had black spots in my vision and then a flasher in my left eye,” said Katie Buteau, 31, of Southboro, recalling the terrifying moments of two strokes she experienced at work six years ago when she was just 25.

“I couldn’t walk, I was crossing my legs over each other and I couldn’t use my arm … my arm was flopping around,” said Buteau.

Buteau had gotten a haircut the day before she started experiencing the alarming symptoms, which she later found out caused two strokes that happened within 24 hours of each other.

“Beauty Parlor Syndrome” occurs when the head and neck are not properly supported during a simple salon hair wash and causes an injury to the vessels in the neck.

Buteau, who didn’t recognize the atypical symptoms right away, went to the hospital a couple of days later and found out she had had a stroke due to a dissection in her artery that was most likely caused by an injury suffered at the hair salon.

“I was scared about what it would mean for the future. I had never heard of this injury happening,” said Buteau, who stayed in the hospital for four days to receive treatment.

“I felt like I couldn’t trust my body. I was 25 years old, and it had let me down and I had done nothing wrong,” said Buteau, who experienced extreme fatigue upon returning home.

Many young stroke survivors are between 18 and 65 years old. According to a 2017 study published in JAMA Neurology, ischemic stroke hospitalization rates are increasing for both men and women under age 45.

Stroke hospitalization rates from 2003 to 2012 significantly increased among 41.5% of men and 30% of women ages 35-44 with a near doubling of the prevalence of three or more of five common stroke risk factors.

Risk factors include conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity as well as illicit drug use, contact sports or physical trauma like a car accident.

Dr. Natalia Rost, Buteau’s doctor and chief of the stroke division at Massachusetts General Hospital, said risk factors in young people have shifted. The prevalence of chronic conditions has increased, and doctors have gotten much better at identifying and treating stroke.

But one growing trend that has swept the nation is also contributing to strokes in young adults — extreme fitness routines.

“More people are doing things like vigorous, strenuous exercise that can cause injury in the neck,” said Rost. “That’s uniquely seen in the young and very healthy population.”

Rost said the “unnatural” exercise can cause pain and injury to vessels in the neck and advises patients to only engage in extreme workouts if they have slowly and gradually worked up to that level of performance.

While Rost said doctors have gotten very good at treating stroke, she doesn’t see a significant reduction in stroke coming anytime soon. The good news is, young stroke patients have a very good chance at recovery.

“Younger patients almost always do better than older patients when it comes to outcomes,” said Rost. “They benefit from rehabilitation to a great extent, and they are almost always able to return to some degree of functional ability.”

Fortunately, Buteau was one such patient who recovered exceedingly well and does not suffer from any lasting effects.

Buteau said she now has to be careful, avoiding any risk of whiplash like riding a roller coaster, but otherwise enjoys a normal life with her husband and 2-year-old daughter.

She encourages others to be aware of the signs of stroke such as facial drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty, and balance and eyesight changes, and to get medical attention quickly.