What do strokes cause

Atrial fibrillation and other heart diseases can cause blood clots that lead to stroke. When you smoke, you damage your blood vessels and raise your blood pressure.

A personal or family history of stroke or TIA. Your risk of stroke increases as you get older. Race and ethnicity. African Americans have a higher risk of stroke. There are also other factors that are linked to a higher risk of stroke, such as Alcohol and illegal drug use Not getting enough physical activity High cholesterol Unhealthy diet Having obesity What are the symptoms of stroke?

The symptoms of stroke often happen quickly. They include Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg especially on one side of the body Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or understanding speech Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes Sudden difficulty walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination Sudden severe headache with no known cause If you think that you or someone else is having a stroke, call right away.

How are strokes diagnosed? To make a diagnosis, your health care provider will Ask about your symptoms and medical history Do a physical exam, including a check of Your mental alertness Your coordination and balance Any numbness or weakness in your face, arms, and legs Any trouble speaking and seeing clearly Run some tests, which may include Diagnostic imaging of the brain, such as a CT scan or MRI Heart tests , which can help detect heart problems or blood clots that may have led to a stroke.

Possible tests include an electrocardiogram EKG and an echocardiography. What are the treatments for stroke? The different stages are Acute treatment , to try to stop a stroke while it is happening Post-stroke rehabilitation , to overcome the disabilities caused by the stroke Prevention , to prevent a first stroke or, if you have already had one, prevent another stroke Acute treatments for ischemic stroke are usually medicines: You may get tPA, tissue plasminogen activator , a medicine to dissolve the blood clot.

You can only get this medicine within 4 hours of when your symptoms started. The sooner you can get it, the better your chance of recovery. If you cannot get that medicine, you may get medicine that helps stop platelets from clumping together to form blood clots. Or you may get a blood thinner to keep existing clots from getting bigger. If you have carotid artery disease, you may also need a procedure to open your blocked carotid artery Acute treatments for hemorrhagic stroke focus on stopping the bleeding.

The next step is to control it: If high blood pressure is the cause of bleeding, you may be given blood pressure medicines. If an aneurysm if the cause, you may need aneurysm clipping or coil embolization. These are surgeries to prevent further leaking of blood from the aneurysm. It also can help prevent the aneurysm from bursting again.

An AVM is a tangle of faulty arteries and veins that can rupture within the brain. An AVM repair may be done through Surgery Injecting a substance into the blood vessels of the AVM to block blood flow Radiation to shrink the blood vessels of the AVM Stroke rehabilitation can help you relearn skills you lost because of the damage.

Can strokes be prevented? If you have already had a stroke or are at risk of having a stroke, you can make some heart-healthy lifestyle changes to try to prevent a future stroke: Eating a heart-healthy diet Aiming for a healthy weight Managing stress Getting regular physical activity Quitting smoking Managing your blood pressure and cholesterol levels If these changes aren't enough, you may need medicine to control your risk factors.

A carotid endarterectomy, for example, involves opening the carotid artery and removing plaque that could break and travel to the brain. Another option is angioplasty. This involves a surgeon inflating a small balloon inside a narrowed artery using a catheter. Afterward, they will insert a mesh tube, or a stent, into the opening.

This prevents the artery from narrowing again. Blood leaking into the brain can cause a hemorrhagic stroke. Treatment focuses on controlling the bleeding and reducing the pressure on the brain.

Treatment often begins with taking drugs that reduce pressure in the brain and control overall blood pressure , as well as preventing seizures and any sudden constrictions of blood vessels. If a person is taking blood-thinning anticoagulants or antiplatelet medication, such as warfarin or clopidogrel, they can receive medications to counter the effects of the blood thinners.

Surgeons can repair some of the problems with blood vessels that have led or could lead to hemorrhagic strokes. When an aneurysm — or a bulge in a blood vessel that may burst — causes a hemorrhagic stroke, a surgeon can place small clamps at the base of the aneurysm or fill it with detachable coils to stop the blood flow and shrink the aneurysm. If the hemorrhage occurs due to an AVM, a surgeon can remove it. AVMs are connections between arteries and veins that can be at risk of bleeding.

Stroke is a potentially life changing event that can have lasting physical and emotional effects. Successful recovery from a stroke will often involve specific therapies and support systems, including:. Rehabilitation is an important and ongoing part of stroke treatment.

With the right assistance and the support of loved ones, regaining a normal quality of life is usually possible, depending on the severity of the stroke.

The best way to prevent a stroke is to address the underlying causes. People can achieve this by making lifestyle changes such as:. Be sure to limit the amount of red and processed meat in the diet, as well as cholesterol and saturated fats. Also, moderate salt intake to support healthy blood pressure levels.

As well as making these lifestyle changes, taking anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications can also reduce the risk of experiencing another stroke. Undergoing cardiac artery, carotid artery, or brain aneurysm surgery can also lower the risk of additional strokes, as can some other surgical options still under investigation.

Each type of stroke has a different set of potential causes. Generally, however, stroke is more likely to affect a person if they:. Some studies have found that males have a higher risk of death from stroke than females. However, one review of studies suggests that these differences do not take into account adjustments for race, age, the severity of the stroke, and other risk factors.

The review explains that the risk of stroke mortality often increases due to age and demographic, rather than the biological differences between males and females. According to a analysis , African American people have a significantly higher risk of experiencing a first-time stroke. This type of stroke occurs due to blockages or narrowing in the arteries that provide blood to the brain. This causes ischemia, or a severely reduced blood flow, which damages brain cells.

Blood clots often cause ischemic stroke. Clots can form in the brain arteries and other blood vessels in the body. The bloodstream carries these into narrower arteries in the brain.

This includes medicines to prevent and dissolve blood clots, reduce blood pressure and reduce cholesterol levels. In some cases, procedures may be required to remove blood clots. Surgery may also be required to treat brain swelling and reduce the risk of further bleeding if this was the cause of your stroke. People who survive a stroke are often left with long-term problems caused by injury to their brain. Some people need a long period of rehabilitation before they can recover their former independence, while many never fully recover and need ongoing support after their stroke.

Local authorities should provide free reablement services for anyone assessed as needing them. These services help the person recovering from a stroke learn or relearn the skills they need to live at home independently. Some people will continue to need some form of care or help with their daily activities. For example, a care worker may come to the person's home to help with washing and dressing, or to provide companionship.

If you're recovering from a stroke or caring for someone who is, it may be useful to read a guide to care and support. This is written for people with care and support needs, as well as their carers and relatives. If you have had a stroke and you're worried about coronavirus, you can get advice about coronavirus and stroke from the Stroke Association. If you have a condition that increases your risk of a stroke, it's important to manage it effectively.

For example, taking medicine you have been prescribed to lower high blood pressure or cholesterol levels.