A Short But Essential Guide To Brain Stroke

It is estimated that, in India 1.8 million people are diagnosed with brain stroke symptoms each year. It is safe to say that brain stroke is one of the biggest epidemics of this century. In this article, we discuss what a brain stroke is, why it occurs, and what are the surgical treatments for it.

What Is A Brain Stroke?

The brain is one of the most essential organs of the body. It controls each and every function of it. To operate correctly, the brain requires an adequate flow of blood to all its tissues and cells. When an abnormality in this blood flow occurs, it is called a blood stroke.

Why Does A Brain Stroke Happen?

The most common reason for a brain stroke is narrowing of arteries which carry blood to the brain. When they are blocked because of a blood clot, or there is plaque build-up, it reduces the blood flow to the brain. This causes a stroke known as Ischemic stroke. 80% of all strokes are due to this.

A variation of ischemic stroke is a mini-stroke which happens for a very short time duration. It causes minimal damage to the brain tissue, therefore is easily reversible. Such strokes are called transient ischemic.

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Another reason a brain stroke occurs is when a brain artery bursts and spills a lot of blood in the brain tissue. Other areas of the brain do not get the proper supply of blood, and hence a stroke occurs. This is called a haemorrhagic stroke.

The reasons why a brain stroke occurs vary a lot but tend to fall in three categories: