Different Types of Stroke
Ischaemic Stroke
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- 80% of strokes are ischaemic
- An ischaemic stroke happens when a blood clot blocks an artery bringing blood to the brain
- Stroke causes brain tissue to die
There are basically 3 types of ischaemic stroke
1. Cerebral Thrombosis
2. Cerebral Embolism
3. Lacunar stroke
Cerebral Thrombosis
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- This happens when a blood clot forms inside the brain
- The arteries in the brain can get hard and narrow. This is called atherosclerosis.
- This causes fat to build up in the artery
- This slows the blood down
- This makes a clot form
Cerebral Embolism
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- This is a clot in the brain that has come from somewhere else in the body
- There could be a clot in the heart or the arteries in the neck
- The clot breaks off and travels in the blood to the brain
- It gets stuck in the brain and cuts off the blood supply
Lacunar Stroke
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- This happens in the very small arteries in the brain
- This is because there are blockages over time in the small arteries
Haemorrhagic Stroke
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- Nearly 20% of strokes are haemorrhagic
- An artery in the brain bursts and bleeds
- It can burst because it is weak (this is called an aneurysm)
- It can burst because it is hard and narrow (atherosclerosis)
Transient Ischaemic Attack
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- A transient ischaemic attack is called a TIA (“mini-stroke”) for short
- A TIA means part of your brain has NO oxygen for a short time
- A TIA might only last a few minutes to a few hours
- You might get weak on one side
- Your speech might be different or strange
- Your vision might be blurred
- DO NOT IGNORE this even if it goes away after a while
- A TIA is a warning sign that you might have a more serious stroke
- You should go to your doctor even with minor symptoms
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