Every 40 seconds, an American has a stroke. And even scarier is, every 4 minutes, someone dies from one.
While not all strokes are preventable, quick recognition of them can make a huge difference in recovery. It can even save someone’s life! For this reason, it’s important that you know what the types of strokes are and what their signs are.
Keep reading to learn some vital information about the strokes that can happen.
Ischemic Stroke
This is the most common type of stroke that occurs. With an ischemic stroke, a blood clot happens in a blood vessel that goes to your brain. There are 2 types: thrombotic and embolic.
Those who are over 60, have heart disease, smoke, and have a family history of strokes are at risk.
Symptoms of an ischemic stroke include sudden numbness or weakness in your extremities (usually only on one side), dizziness, confusion, issues speaking, and problems with your vision.
An ischemic stroke can be prevented in many different ways, from leading a healthy lifestyle to a watchman heart device. It is best to consult your doctor to learn your risk level and the best methods of prevention.
Transient Ischemic Attack
The transient ischemic attack (TIA) is also known as a mini-stroke. It’s like an ischemic stroke, but it’s only temporary. You’ll experience symptoms between a few minutes to 24 hours.
Those who are older, have heart disease and/or diabetes, smoke, and are obese are more at risk. If you have atrial fibrillation, you’re also more at risk. Learn more about the dangers of AFIB here.
Because the TIA is basically a mini version of an ischemic stroke, the symptoms are the same.
Hemorrhagic Stroke
A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when there’s bleeding in your brain and this damages the cells nearby. There are 2 types: subarachnoid (between brain and skull) and intracerebral (inside the brain).
Risk factors are the same here as for the strokes above, so it’s important to be in optimal health to decrease your chance of strokes.
You’ll also have vision problems and confusion with a hemorrhagic stroke. Other symptoms include a serious headache, nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity, and fainting.
Brain Stem Stroke
As the name suggests, this type of stroke happens in your brain stem. While an ischemic stroke usually affects only one side of the body, a brain stem stroke affects both. As a result, it’s common for patients to be unable to move or speak.
Risk factors include diabetes, smoking, heart disease, high blood pressure, and atrial fibrillation.
Symptoms of a brain stem stroke are harder to detect. They include vision problems, slurred speech, issues with breathing, dizziness, and fainting. The person might also have “locked-in syndrome”, which is where they’re only able to move their eyes and nothing else.
Cryptogenic Stroke
Cryptogenic strokes are those where the medical industry can’t figure out what caused them. Expect the symptoms and risk factors to be similar to the above types of strokes.
Be on the Lookout for These Types of Strokes
Now you know about the 5 types of strokes that can happen. Time is of the essence when someone’s having a stroke, so if you suspect that you or a loved one’s having symptoms, dial 911 ASAP. Quick action can save a life!
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