Understanding the Various Stroke Causes
Naturally, a stroke occurs in the brain. Sometimes, people refer to
it as brain attack. However, stroke is essentially a type of
cardiovascular disease. Stroke occurs when there is abnormality of
blood in the brain. For instance, an ischemic stroke can be caused by
too little blood while a hemorrhagic stroke can be caused by too much
blood.
Types of Stroke Causes
There are basically two
kinds of strokes – the ischemic and the hemorrhagic stroke. These are
triggered by different factors. Essentially, there are only two stroke
causes. There are – artery blockage and rupture of an artery.
Artery
blockage could take the form of a clogged artery, hardened artery and
brain embolism. Artery blockage results in ischemic stroke. Ischemic
strokes occur when there are blood clots in the brain. This caused
severe reduction in the brains blood flow. The brain cells are then
deprived of oxygen and they would begin to disintegrate or die with
minutes.
On the other hand, a rupture artery could take the form
of a cerebral haemorrhage or a subarachnoid haemorrhage. A ruptured
artery results to hemorrhagic stroke. Hemorrhagic basically means
bleeding. This happens when a brain blood vessel leaks or ruptures.
This type of stroke can be attributed to hypertension, aneurysms and
sometimes, arteriovenous malformation.
Stroke Information – Factors Contributing to Risk
There are a lot of factors that contribute to the treatment for stroke. The same factors could also risk the chances of developing heart diseases. Some of these factors include:
a. Genetics or family history. This is primarily the number one cause
of stroke. The risk is higher if a parent or a sibling has a history of
this disease.
My mother had a slight stroke, am I at risk?
Yes. Genetics is a risk factor for both mild and debilitating stroke.
You are also at risk if one of your parents or siblings had a history
of TIA.
b. Age. Your risk of getting a stroke is increased as
you grow older. This is especially true among middle-aged individuals
and older individuals. The body cannot pump out blood the way it used
to. You could say that the wear and tear have taken their toll on your
body. This is why older people are encouraged to have good eating
habits.
c. Sex. Stroke is a bad news for men. Men are at greater risk of getting a stroke than women.
d. Race. African Americans or Blacks are at greater risk of developing
a stroke than other races. There is no exact reason for this. However,
it is a advisable to be aware of the risk if you are an African
American.
e. Hypertension or high blood pressure. Often, this
is the major cause of stroke. Hypertension weakens the brains blood
vessels, leaving your brain vulnerable to haemorrhage or
atherosclerosis. To avoid stroke, you should have a healthy diet and
regular exercise.
f. Bad cholesterol. Too much low-density
lipoprotein cholesterol in your diet increases your risk of getting a
stroke. Limit your consumption of bad LDLs.
g. Cardiovascular diseases. Heart diseases may cause embolic clots which could found their way to your brain.
There
are still many factors that could cause stroke. Essentially, however,
if you would like to avoid stroke, you should live a healthy life.