Do You Have Stroke Risk Factors?

 

Stroke: Causes and Risk Factors

A stroke, sometimes called a “brain attack,” happens when an artery to the brain becomes blocked or ruptures. As a result, blood flow is cut off to a part of the brain, depriving cells of oxygen and glucose from the blood supply. If the cut-off is brief, brain cells may be stressed but able to recover. But if cells are deprived for more than 3 or 4 minutes, they may die, resulting in permanent damage to the brain. In some cases of stroke, certain functions are lost, but other areas of the brain can learn to do the tasks previously handled by the damaged area.

Two types of stroke exist:

Ischemic stroke: About 80% of strokes are ischemic strokes. This type happens when a blood vessel in the brain develops a clot that cuts off blood flow to cells.
Hemorrhagic stroke: The remaining 20% are hemorrhagic strokes, which happen when a weakened blood vessel in the brain bursts. When the vessel bleeds or hemorrhages suddenly, surrounding brain tissue can become damaged. Hemorrhagic stroke is the most serious type of stroke.   

Risk Factors

How do you know if you are at risk for having a stroke? There are two types of risk factors: controllable and uncontrollable. Some stroke risk factors, such as high blood pressure and smoking, can be controlled by medication or lifestyle changes. Other risk factors, such as age and race, cannot be changed.

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