Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and is a common cause of adult disability. What many people may not know is that there are several types of stroke that can affect different parts of your brain and body in various ways.

Definition

A stroke, sometimes referred to as a brain attack, is a medical emergency that occurs when the blood supply to part of your brain is drastically reduced or interrupted. This happens when a blood vessel in the brain bursts or is blocked. When brain cells stop receiving oxygen and nutrients from blood, they begin to die. This is when brain damage begins to occur, and it takes only a matter of minutes to happen. Because of this, swift treatment is crucial to avoid severe brain damage and other serious complications. Some complications of a stroke can include speech, memory, and movement impairment.

Different Types of Strokes

A stroke is caused when the flow of blood to your brain is disrupted. There are two primary types of strokes. The most common is called an ischemic stroke. The other type of stroke is called a hemorrhagic stroke. People can also have a “mini stroke,” known as a transient ischemic attack or TIA.

This type of stroke occurs when there is a blockage or narrowing in the arteries leading to your brain. Ischemic strokes account for about 90 percent of all stroke attacks. The root cause of an ischemic stroke is atherosclerosis, which is a hardening and narrowing of the arteries due to plaque buildup. The two most common ischemic strokes are

• Thrombotic stroke: When a blood clot, or thrombus, forms in one of the arteries carrying blood to your brain, it is called a thrombotic stroke. Doctors usually find these clots in arteries that are already damaged by atherosclerosis. Blood clots are often found in your carotid arteries (the arteries in your neck), but also can be present in other arteries in your neck or brain.
• Embolic stroke: This kind of stroke happens when a blood clot forms in a blood vessel away from your brain; oftentimes, this type of clot originates in your heart as a result of atrial fibrillation (AF). Atrial fibrillation is a condition in which the heart beats abnormally, causing blood to pool within the heart’s chambers and form clots. These blood clots can then travel to the brain’s arteries and become lodged there, hindering blood flow to the brain and triggering a stroke.

In a hemorrhagic stroke, a weakened vessel in your brain has ruptured or leaked. Such a rupture can occur for several reasons, including high blood pressure or weak spots in the walls of your blood vessels (aneurysms). There are two kinds of hemorrhagic strokes:

• Intracerebral hemorrhage: This kind of stroke occurs when a blood vessel inside the brain bursts; as a result, blood leaks in the brain and seeps into the surrounding brain tissue, damaging the nearby cells. Additionally, brain cells beyond the leak are not getting necessary blood and oxygen, so they also become damaged. Because the brain experiences increased pressure, the brain cells surrounding the leaking blood can be quickly harmed. This sudden buildup of pressure can lead to unconsciousness or in severe cases, death. The most common cause of intracerebral hemorrhagic stroke is high blood pressure; over time, high blood pressure causes the small arteries in your brain to become brittle, making them more likely to rupture.
• Subarachnoid hemorrhage: In this type of stroke, a blood vessel bursts just outside of your brain. As a result, this area, called the subarachnoid space, quickly fills with blood, and pressure is put on the brain. This intense pressure outside of the brain can cause someone to lose consciousness or even to die. People experiencing this type of stroke often have an excruciatingly painful headache, sometimes called a “thunderclap headache.” What causes subarachnoid hemorrhage are usually cerebral aneurysms, which are irregular swellings in the arteries at the base of your brain. In the spots where the swelling is the worst, the vessel wall can become weak and will rupture, triggering the stroke.

These episodes are usually short in duration (less than 5 minutes), feel like a stroke, and have the same warning signs. The cause of a TIA is a momentary decrease of blood supply to your brain caused by a temporary clot. The only difference between TIA and a true stroke is that with TIA, the clot blockage is temporary, and when the episode is over, there is no permanent damage.

However, doctors consider TIAs “warning strokes” and they should be taken very seriously. It is essential to seek emergency medical care even if your symptoms go away; the fact that you had a TIA means that you have a compromised artery leading to your brain that makes you more susceptible to a full-blown stroke. Also, since the warning signs and symptoms are the same for a TIA and a true stroke, do not try to self-diagnose as to which you are having. Play it safe, and get to a hospital immediately.

For many patients, recovering from a stroke can take months and sometimes years. Some people who have a stroke do not fully recover. After having a brain attack, someone’s sense of intellect, movement, and overall perception of the world changes. Interacting with their surroundings becomes very challenging. The abilities that a person loses after a stroke depend on the extent of brain damage, the type of stroke, as well as in what part of the brain the stroke occurred. The brain is divided into four main categories: the right hemisphere, the left hemisphere, the brain stem, and the cerebellum.

• Right hemisphere stroke: Patients who have had this type of stroke often experience paralysis in the left side of the body, since the right hemisphere of the brain controls movement on the left side of their body. The aftereffects can also include falling, difficulty judging distance, and trouble picking up objects. Impaired or an impulsive sense of judgment can also be an issue, such as a patient insisting on driving a car when he or she is not fit to do so. Short-term memory loss can also occur, with long-term memory loss remaining intact.
• Left hemisphere stroke: Because the left hemisphere of your brain controls movement on the right side of your body, after a left hemisphere stroke, sometimes patients are paralyzed on their right side. Speech and language abilities can also be affected. It is common for the patient to need help completing tasks. Memory problems are also prevalent, with people having difficulty learning new skill sets.
• Brainstem stroke: Strokes that happen in the brainstem are especially dire because the brainstem is where all of our involuntary functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing are controlled. The brainstem is also in charge of moving your eyes, swallowing, hearing, and speech. People who have had a brainstem stroke are also susceptible to paralysis, since the impulses that tell your arms and legs to move must travel through the now-damaged brainstem.
• Cerebellum stroke: The cerebellum is in charge of balance and coordination, so a stroke in this part of your brain can affect these functions. Dizziness, nausea, and vomiting are also common aftereffects.

Conclusion

If your loved one has had a stroke, obtain as much information as possible about the condition. There are many different types of strokes; each one can have very different effects on a person as they begin the recovery process.