Causes
There are two types of strokes.Ischemic strokes usually happen because a blood clot blocks a blood vessel connected to your brain. Issues that can cause these kinds of clots include:
- Atherosclerosis (hardened arteries)
- Atrial fibrillation (especially when sleep apnoea causes it)
- Clotting disorders
- Heart defects (including atrial septal defect and ventricular septal defect)
- Microvascular ischemic disease
Haemorrhagic strokes happen when a blood vessel in your brain breaks or tears (ruptures). Causes can include:
- Brain aneurysms
- Brain tumours
- High blood pressure (especially if it’s very high or you have it for a long time)
- Moyamoya disease (and any other condition that weakens blood vessels in your brain)
A transient ischemic attack (TIA) — sometimes called a “mini-stroke” — is like a stroke, but the effects are temporary. These are often warning signs that a person has a very high risk of having a true stroke soon. A person who has a TIA needs emergency medical care as soon as possible.
Anybody can have a stroke, but some groups have a higher risk, including people who:
- Are older than 65
- Smokers
- Use recreational or nonprescription drugs
- Alcohol abuse
- COVID-19
- Frequent migraine headaches
- Hypertension
- Dyslipidaemia (High cholesterol)
- Diabetes Mellitus