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What Are the Causes of a Stroke?

A stroke can have devastating consequences, and may require years of therapy in order to regain use of the body. Learn some of the causes of strokes and what you can do to prevent them.

  1. Identification

    • According to the National Stroke Association, a stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery or a blood vessel breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain. When this happens, the brain is deprived of oxygen, and brain cells begin to die and brain damage occurs. This means that abilities such as speech, memory and movement are lost. How severe the damage is depends on where in the brain that the stroke occurred, and how significant the damage to this area of the brain is.

    Types

    • There are six types of strokes. The first type is an Ischemic Stroke. Ischemia means that a blood clot has blocked arteries and has cut off blood flow to the brain. This can lead to an Embolic Stroke, which means that a clot has formed somewhere in the body, and has moved throughout the blood stream to the brain. The clot lodges in the brain, blocking the blood vessels and causing a stroke. A Thrombotic Stroke occurs when blood flow is impaired due to a blockage of one or more of the arteries that supply blood to the brain. An example of this type of stroke is fatty deposit buildup due to high cholesterol. This is usually due to poor nutrition. Large Vessel Thrombosis refers to the type of thrombotic stroke that occurs in the large arteries. These patients are more likely to have Coronary Artery Disease as well. Small Vessel Disease occurs when a small arterial vessel is blocked. This is usually attributed to high blood pressure. The last type of stroke is a Hemorrhagic Stroke, and this is caused by a breakage of a blood vessel within the brain itself. Aneurysms are a common cause of this type of stroke. An aneurysm forms over time and weakens the blood vessel wall. When it breaks, a Hemorrhagic stroke ensues.

    Symptoms

    • The symptoms of a stroke are a sudden numbness in the face, arm or leg, sudden confusion, trouble speaking, trouble understanding, sudden difficulty seeing in one or both eyes, loss of balance, loss of coordination, trouble walking, sudden onset of severe headache.

    Prevention/Solution

    • Some of the possible causes of stroke are aneurysm, high blood pressure, Coronary Artery Disease and high cholesterol. According to the National Stroke Association, more women will die from stroke than men. African Americans are also twice as likely to die from stroke as Caucasians. African Americans are also more likely to become disabled as a result of a stroke. Children are seldom affected by stroke, however, it is more common in children under 2 years of age.

    Warning

    • It is important to keep a good check on blood pressure, as high blood pressure is a common reason for suffering from a stroke. People with diabetes are also more likely to have a stroke. Smoking doubles your risk for stroke; quitting immediately begins to decrease that risk. Keeping your weight within normal limits, also reduces the risk of stroke. A low fat, low sodium diet can help keep weight and blood pressure steady and will reduce your risk of stroke.

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