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OTTUMWA , IOWA -- For Monday's Facebook Story of the Day, you wanted to know the signs of a stroke and whether it can happen to a young person.

The biggest signs to watch out for include slurred speech, slow motor skills, a severe headache, trouble walking and what is called TIA, or a transient ischemic attack, which is several "mini" strokes leading up to the big one.

So are the symptoms the same for men and women?

"It's usually universal, but as to how many symptoms they'll have at a time and which ones is really different for each individual, some people have more than one symptom when it does occur," said Lynelle Diers, Clinical Director of Wapello County Public Health.

What about young people? Are they at risk for a stroke?

"It's fairly uncommon for younger individuals, but if their lifestyle has been unhealthy, yes, it can occur because there are many, many things that affect a person to [be a precursor] to a stroke," Diers said.

Some of those factors that can predispose one to having a stroke is personality type, stress level, high blood pressure and cholesterol, age, smoking, alcohol intake, gender and body weight. A lot has to do with genetics, as well.

As for preventative measures, Diers suggests watching stress levels, eating healthy and managing your weight and limiting smoking and alcohol intake. You should also see your physician if a history of stroke runs in your family.