Types of Stroke and Risk FactorsThere are two types of stroke or CVA, hemorrhagic and ischemic. Hemorrhagic stroke is essentially a brain bleed and occurs when a blood vessel ruptures in the brain. Hemorrhagic stroke accounts for approximately 20% of strokes. Ischemic stroke, on the other hand is much more common and occurs because of a blocked artery or obstruction such as a clot or fatty deposit. An ischemic stroke and a transient ischemic attach (TIA) are similar but are not the same. A stroke causes symptoms that last for at least 24 hours. The TIA or "mini stroke" as some call it has symptoms that improve in a much shorter period of time. Click here for more information on TIA or mini stroke symptoms.It is important to know which type of stroke you have experienced because medical treatment is different. How do you know? Before starting treatment, your physician will perform an imaging test such as a CAT Scan or MRI to correctly diagnose your CVA. It is important to restore blood flow with an ischemic stroke, but for a hemorrhagic stroke, the goal is to control brain bleeding. You may have heard other terms for stroke such as lacunar infarct, thrombotic infarct, embolic infarct, diabetic stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage, and so on. These all fall within the two types of stroke identified above, but I have provided links below if you wish to know more about these specific types of hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes. The following are risk factors for stroke: Age - stroke risk increases tenfold for each decade of life after age 55 Hereditary - risk increases if immediate family members or grandparents had a stroke Sex - more men have strokes than women Prior stroke, TIA, or heart attack High blood pressure - causes artery walls to weaken Diabetes mellitus - high blood sugar can damage the heart and blood vessels which can lead to a heart attack or stroke Carotid or Artery Disease Other Heart Disease Sickle Cell Anemia High Cholesterol Cigarette Smoking Poor Diet Physical Inactivity Obesity Stroke Prevention - To help prevent stroke, take the following steps: To find out more about stroke prevention and the above topics, click here.
Ischemic Stroke
Hemorrhagic Stroke
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
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