Ischemic Stroke

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Identifying the type of stroke suffered is crucial to effectively treating a stroke patient. The most common kind of stroke is an Ischemic stroke. Ischemic strokes occur when an artery to the brain is blocked, usually by blood clots. Ischemic strokes can be classified into two separate categories:  thrombotic and embolic. Thrombotic strokes occur when a blood clot forms in an artery in the brain, blocking sufficient blood flow. Fifty percent of strokes occur in this manor.  An embolic stroke is when a blood clot causes the same situation; however, the clot itself forms in the body somewhere other than the brain.

Transient Ischemic Attacks

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Transient ischemic attacks, called TIAs, may happen before the actual stroke. A TIA is sometimes called a ministroke because it causes the same symptoms as a stroke, but the symptoms go away within a few minutes to a few hours. TIAs occur when the blood supply to the brain is cut off for a short time without causing permanent damage. About 10% of TIAs are followed by a stroke within 3 months. One person in four who has a TIA  will have a stroke within 5 years. If you have a stroke, you are more likely to have another one.

Hemorrhagic Stroke

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Due to bleeding in the brain. It is usually caused by the rupture of a blood vessel. This leads to a "bruise" in the brain that can lead to the symptoms of a stroke. While this type of stroke is less common (15%), they can be devastating in nature. The most common cause of this condition is the weakening of the arteries in the brain due to chronic high blood pressure. Other reason include, brain aneurysm and arteriovenous malformations (abnormal tangles of blood vessels).