| There are two kinds of strokes that occur -- | | | | and high blood pressure. |
| ischemic strokes and hemorrhagic strokes. | | | | Common symptoms of a stroke include |
| Strokes occur when blood flow to a certain area | | | | weakness/numbness of the face, leg, or arm on |
| of the brain is stopped. This causes the brain cells | | | | one side of the body, loss of vision or speech, |
| to die because they are deprived of the oxygen | | | | difficulty speaking or understanding others, sudden |
| and glucose they need to survive. | | | | headaches without a known cause, or loss of |
| Ischemic strokes show similarities to heart | | | | balance. If you or someone you know experience |
| attacks, except they happen in the blood vessels | | | | symptoms of a stroke, it's imperative that you |
| of the brain. Clots form either in the blood vessels | | | | call 9-1-1 to receive immediate care -- which can |
| leading to the brain, in the brain's vessels or | | | | save your life or increase chances of a full |
| vessels in the body that travel to the brain. | | | | recovery. |
| Ischemic strokes can also occur when too much | | | | Controllable risk factors of strokes include high |
| cholesterol and fat deposits (plaque) block the | | | | blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, |
| brain's blood vessels. Nearly 80% of strokes are | | | | excessive alcohol intake, and being overweight. |
| ischemic. | | | | However, uncontrollable risk factors include age |
| Hemorrhagic strokes occur when a blood vessel | | | | (typically being over 65 years old), gender (men |
| located in the brain either ruptures or breaks. This | | | | have strokes more often whereas women have |
| results in damage to brain cells due to blood | | | | deadlier ones), and family history. Regular |
| flowing into the brain tissue. The most common | | | | check-ups are important to catch possible |
| causes of hemorrhagic strokes are brain | | | | problems before they turn serious. |
| aneurysms (a weakness in the blood vessel wall) | | | | |