Stroke

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Fact sheets

Hypertension

29 May 2017

Stroke, also known as a cerebral vascular accident, is an impeded blood supply to some parts of the brain.

There are two major types of stroke:

Ischemic stroke

Haemorrhagic stroke

How a stroke happens

A stroke happens when the blood supply to the brain is blocked or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. The loss of blood to the brain means a loss of oxygen and the brains cells become injured and die. A stroke can kill or leave you with a permanent disability.

Different types of strokes

Ischemic stroke is accountable for 80% of all strokes. During an ischemic stroke the supply of blood and oxygen to the brain is blocked. This usually happens because of blood clots in an artery to the brain or a narrowing of the arteries (carotid stenosis) blocking or impeding the blood flow.

In a hemorrhagic stroke, an artery in the brain bursts. There are two main types of hemorrhagic stroke.

An intracerebral hemorrhage happens when a blood vessel in the brain leaks blood into the brain. A subarachnoid hemorrhage happens when there is bleeding under the outer membranes of the brain and into the thin fluid–filled space that surrounds the brain.

This type of hemorrhage can cause extensive damage to the brain and is the most lethal of all strokes.