According to the CDC, almost 800,000 Americans have a stroke each year. Someone has a stroke about once every 40 seconds, and about once every four minutes, a person dies from a stroke.
Not all strokes are created equal, though. There are a handful of different types of strokes that people can have.
You should take the time to learn about the different stroke types just in case you or someone you know ever has one. By educating yourself on the various kinds of strokes, you’ll put yourself in a position to deal with them better than you might be able to otherwise.
Here are some of the main types of strokes that people suffer.
Ischemic Stroke
Of all the different types of strokes, ischemic strokes are easily the most common. The CDC reports that about 87% of all strokes are ischemic strokes.
When a person has an ischemic stroke, the artery that is in place to provide their brain with oxygen-rich blood gets blocked. This prevents blood from making its way to a person’s brain and it can result in them having to deal with an injured brain.
The Aphasia Charity Appeal has been set up to help those who have gone through this type of stroke.
Hemorrhagic Stroke
While ischemic strokes are the result of a blockage in the artery that carries blood to people’s brains, hemorrhagic strokes occur when this artery has a leak in it. This leak leads to blood putting pressure on the cells in a person’s brain, and it eventually does damage to them.
There are two types of hemorrhagic strokes that a person can suffer. There are intracerebral hemorrhages, which are the most common type. During these hemorrhagic strokes, the artery leading to a person’s brain will burst and almost immediately flood the tissues surrounding the artery with blood.
There are also subarachnoid hemorrhages. During these types of strokes, blood will slowly emerge from the artery and leak into the area that sits in between a person’s brain and the tissues that are in place to cover it up.
Transient Ischemic Attack
Transient ischemic attacks, or TIA, are often referred to as “mini-strokes.” They’re slightly less serious versions of ischemic strokes.
When a TIA takes place, the artery leading to a person’s brain will get blocked for a few minutes. It’s enough to do some damage to a person’s brain, but it’s not enough to lead to serious damage in most cases.
That being said, a TIA is usually a warning sign that will let a person know a more serious stroke could come down the line. And it should be treated just like any other stroke to prevent too much damage from being done to a person’s brain.
Look Out for All of the Different Types of Strokes
A stroke can alter a person’s life in so many ways. It can completely change who they are as a person and prevent them from living the life that they led before.
You should do everything in your power to avoid having a stroke. You should also learn everything you can about the different types of strokes so that you know what you’re facing if you ever have one.
Get more health and wellness tips by taking a look at the other articles found on our blog.
