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What Exactly Is A Stroke?

Information On "Brain Attacks"

Definition

A stroke is the alteration or loss of bodily function caused by an insufficient supply of blood to part of the brain.

For the brain to perform at peak levels, it needs a steady and adequate supply of blood.

U.S. Data

  • Strokes affect 600,000 people per year.
  • There are 4.5 million stroke survivors living today.
  • Strokes are the 3rd leading cause of death.
  • Strokes cost over $30 billion per year.

Types Of Strokes

The blood flow to the brain can be hampered in 2 ways. This leads to the following 2 classifications of stroke.

Ischemic – 83% of all strokes caused by a blockage or clog inside a vessel that supplies blood to the brain. These obstructions are the results of blood clots and atherosclerosis, fatty deposits lining the walls of the vessels. There are 2 types of ischemic strokes.

  • Cerebral Embolism – a blockage that enters the flow of the circulatory system after it breaks loose from the heart or a larger artery, usually in the neck or upper chest. When it enters a blood vessel in the brain that is too narrow for it to pass through, it forms a plug and hinders the flow of blood.
  • Cerebral Thrombosis – a blockage that develops within a brain vessel.
Hemorrhagic – 17% of all strokes caused by the rupture of a weakened blood vessel. There are 2 types of weaknesses that usually cause a blood vessel to rupture.
  • Aneurysm – A weakness in the wall of a vessel that balloons or bubbles. If it is left untreated, it keeps growing weaker until it bursts and bleeds into the brain.
  • Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM) – A cluster of abnormally formed vessels. Any one of the vessels can burst and bleed into the brain.

Warning Strokes

Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) is a mini-stroke that can serve as a warning of a major stroke. It occurs under ischemic conditions and the typical warning signs develop. Instead of progressing, after a short time the clot somehow resolves itself through normal mechanisms.

TIAs precede about 10% of major strokes. So victims should not take them lightly. They should seek medical attention IMMEDIATELY!

(Sources: American Stroke Assn., National Stroke Assn.)