Types of Stroke
Stroke: Types list
The list of types of Stroke mentioned in various sources includes:
- Ischemic stroke - from reduced blood flow to a brain area.
- Hemorrhagic stroke - from bleeding in the brain.
- Right hemisphere stroke - a right brain stroke affecting the left side of the body.
- Left hemisphere stroke - a left brain stroke affecting the right side of the body.
- Cerebellar stroke - a stroke occurring in the cerebellum
- Brain stem stroke - occurring in the brain stem.
Types discussion:
Stroke: NWHIC (Excerpt)
There are two types of stroke:
-
Ischemic stroke, the most common type of stroke.
This type of stroke happens when there is a sudden lack of blood flow to
some part of the brain, usually due to a blood clot blocking an artery
or blood vessel. Often the artery is already clogged with fatty deposits
(atherosclerosis).
-
Hemorrhagic stroke. Bleeding in the brain from a
broken or leaking blood vessel causes this type of stroke. A hemorrhagic
stroke may be due to an aneurysm—a thin or weak spot in an
artery called that balloons out and can burst.
Either type of stroke can cause brain cells to die. This brain damage
may cause a person to lose control of certain functions, such as speech,
movement, and memory. Like a heart attack, a stroke is an emergency and
should be treated as quickly as possible.
(Source: excerpt from Stroke: NWHIC)
Stroke Prevention and Treatment - Age Page - Health Information: NIA (Excerpt)
There are three major
types of stroke:
Thrombotic strokes are caused by fatty deposits
(plaques) that have built up in the arteries carrying blood to the
brain. This slows blood flow and can cause clots to form on the
plaques that narrow or block the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the
brain.
An embolic stroke is caused by a blood clot
formed in another part of the body that breaks loose, travels
through the bloodstream, and blocks an artery carrying oxygen and
nutrients to the brain. When traveling through the body the blood
clot is called an embolus.
A hemorrhagic stroke is caused when an artery
supplying blood bleeds into the brain. The broken blood vessel
prevents needed oxygen and nutrients from reaching brain cells. One
type of hemorrhagic stroke is caused when an artery that has
weakened over time bulges (called an aneurysm) and suddenly bursts.
Diagnosis and Treatment
A stroke requires immediate medical care. If you think you are
having a stroke, call 911. Research shows that treatment during the
first few hours after stroke symptoms appear can be important for
the best possible recovery. An emergency doctor or a neurologist (a
doctor who diagnoses and treats disorders of the brain and nervous
system) will provide emergency treatment. Then a family doctor,
internist, or geriatrician can step in and provide continuing
care.
Doctors make an early diagnosis by studying symptoms,
reviewing the patient's medical history, and performing tests such
as a computerized tomography (CT) scan-a 3-dimensional x-ray of the
brain.
What You Can do to Prevent a Stroke
A stroke is a single, damaging attack, but the conditions or risk
factors that lead to a stroke, such as high blood pressure, smoking,
heart disease, and diabetes develop over many years. The National
Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the
National Institutes of Health, has developed a worksheet to help you
estimate your stroke risk. For a copy of Brain Basics: Preventing
Stroke, contact the NINDS information office listed
below.
You can reduce your stroke risk by taking the
following steps:
- Control your blood pressure. Have your blood
pressure checked often, and, if it is high, follow your doctor's
advice on how to lower it. Treating high blood pressure reduces
the risk for both stroke and heart disease.
(Source: excerpt from Stroke Prevention and Treatment - Age Page - Health Information: NIA)
Stroke: Rare Types
Rare types of medical conditions and diseases in related medical categories:
Stroke: Related Disease Topics
More general medical disease topics related to Stroke include:
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» Next page: Causes of Stroke
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