©What is a Stroke

A stroke is a disease that affects the arteries of the brain. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel bringing blood to the brain gets blocked or ruptures so brain cells don’t get the flow of blood that they need. Deprived of oxygen, nerve cells cannot function and die within minutes. When these nerve cells die, the parts of the body they control cannot function either. These devastating effects are often permanent because brain cells cannot be replaced.

Other names for a stroke include:

Cerebral Vascular Accident (CVA) Ischemic Stroke Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) Intracranial Hemorrhage (ICH) Cerebral Thrombosis

Types of Stroke

There are three types of strokes:

 An Ischemic Stroke is a stroke caused by a blocked artery.

This is the most common type of stroke and can sometimes be treated with clot busting drugs.

 A Hemorrhagic Stroke is a stroke caused by bleeding into the brain tissue. This stroke is caused by a ruptured blood vessel.

 A TIA, or a Transient Ischemic Attack, is also called a

“mini stroke” and occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery for a short time. The symptoms of a TIA are like the warning signs of a stroke, but they usually last only a few minutes. About 10% of strokes are preceded by TIAs and are a very strong predictor of stroke risk. TIAs are a medical emergency and should be treated immediately.

► The type of stroke I have had is: