What Are The Three Types of Strokes?

Sept. 3, 2020, noon

A stroke occurs when the artery supplying blood to your brain is reduced or interrupted - preventing a complete cutoff from a supply of oxygen and nutrients, resulting in brain cells' instant death and can cause significant brain damage in under five minutes.

A stroke is a high alert medical emergency that requires instant treatment. Only by ensuring early action can one reduce the chances of damage and other complications associated with a stroke.

Symptoms of Stroke:

Trouble speaking and understanding
Paralysis or numbness on the face, leg, or arm
Headache, dizziness, and altered consciousness
Trouble walking, losing balance, and stumbling
Problem seeing using both eyes

Additional symptoms of a stroke are:

One side of your face dropping
You are unable to raise both arms
It is hard for you to repeat a simple phrase
Finding it hard to speak clearly

If you or someone around you is showcasing some of all of the symptoms listed above, then it's best to get them medical care as soon as possible. Getting to the hospital in time can help save their life, and even ensure no permanent damage is done.

Three Types of Strokes

There are three types of strokes, and the stroke you have is the one that affects your treatment and recovery process. By understanding the three different strokes, you can understand what is going on with your system.

Ischemic Stroke

More than 87% of the strokes are ischemic strokes, and they happen when the artery offering blood flow to your brain becomes blocked, commonly due to blood clots which deprive your brain of blood flow; causing an ischemic stroke.

Hemorrhagic Stroke

A hemorrhagic stroke takes place when an artery in your brain starts leaking blood or completely ruptures. The leaked blood automatically starts to drown your brain cells, damaging their working and system as it spreads. High blood pressure and aneurysms can cause your artery to expand and burst at any moment - causing a hemorrhagic stroke.

Two Types of Hemorrhagic Strokes:

Intracerebral hemorrhage: A common type of hemorrhagic stroke occurs when an artery in your brain bursts resulting in flooding the surroundings with excessive blood.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage: A less common type of hemorrhagic stroke causes bleeding between the brain and the thin tissues covering your brain.

Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)

A TIA (transient ischemic attack) referred to as a mini-stroke is slightly different from the typical types of strokes mentioned above. A TIA only stops blood flow for a few moments - that can last up to 5 minutes. The most crucial things to worry about with a TIA is that it is:

A warning sign of a future stroke.
A medical emergency - like the other two major strokes.
It is hard to determine if the signs and symptoms are from a major stroke or TIA.
When left untreated, TIA can cause a major stroke within a year.

Only by recognizing the type of stroke, one can treat the stroke. When recovering from a TIA, it is essential to remember that you will be able to steer clear of a major stroke by taking good care of yourself.

Yours in self-care,

Adrian Wilk