stroke 101

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By Chrystle Fiedler

Find out what you need to know about stroke symptoms, risk factors, and prevention.

Save your brain: By educating yourself about stroke risk factors and symptoms, you can take immediate steps to prevent one. Here’s what you need to know.

What Causes a Stroke?

Stroke: “A stroke is like a brain attack,” says Jennifer H. Mieres, M.D., a cardiologist and spokeswoman for the American Heart Association and an associate professor at New York University Medical Center. When a blood clot cuts off blood flow to a part of the brain and it is deprived of the blood supply, brain cells die. It is the third leading cause of death in the United States.

There are two types of stroke:

• Ischemic stroke: The most common type of stroke, ischemic strokes occur when there is a buildup of fatty deposits lining the arteries to and in the brain.
• Hemorrhagic stroke: Occurs when there is a rupture of small blood vessels that kills brain cells.

Effect on the body: During a stroke, the brain is deprived of oxygen and nutrients for a period of time, which can damage or block parts of the brain. Depending on where the obstruction is and how much of the brain has been damaged, a stroke can manifest in:

• paralysis
• vision and speech problems
• memory loss
• behavioral changes