What is a stroke?
Q: What is a stroke?
A: A stroke is an illness in which part of the brain loses its blood supply due to a lack of blood flow. This can happen if an artery that feeds blood to the brain gets clogged, or if it tears and leaks.
Q: What are the two types of strokes?
A: The two types of strokes are when there is a blood clot blocking the artery and when a blood vessel bursts and there is free-flowing blood in the brain.
Q: What are some symptoms of a stroke?
A: Symptoms of a stroke might include hemiplegia (inability to move one or more limbs on one side of the body), aphasia (inability to understand or use language), or an inability to see one side of the visual field.
Q: Is having a stroke considered an emergency?
A: Yes, having a stroke is considered an emergency as it can cause permanent damage and may lead to death if not quickly treated.
Q: Does having a stroke affect both sides of the brain?
A: Yes, strokes can happen on both sides of the brain. When it happens on the left side, it affects the right side of their body while when it happens on their right side, it affects their left side as well as changes spatial perceptions and causes people not acknowledge their illness.
Q: What increases someone's risk for getting a stroke? A: Factors that increase someone's risk for getting a stroke include old age, high blood pressure, previous strokes, diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking, atrial fibrillation, migraine with aura and thrombophilia (tendency towards thrombosis). Of these factors, high blood pressure and smoking are most easily fixable.
