There are two types of stroke, which is also known as stroke or stroke: ischemic stroke, which is characterized by the interruption of blood circulation in a certain area of the brain, and hemorrhagic, characterized by the rupture of a blood vessel which results in bleeding inside the skull.
These changes cause symptoms such as loss of strength or feeling in a region of the body, dizziness, blurred vision or fainting, and should be treated quickly to avoid the risk of sequelae. To learn more about the main symptoms and treatment of stroke, see everything about stroke.
In addition, each type of stroke is also subdivided into other types, according to its cause and location of the affected brain. The main types are:
1. Ischemic stroke
Cerebral ischemia that occurs in this type of stroke can occur in 2 ways:
- Thrombosis: it is the main cause of stroke, and it happens due to the obstruction of blood flow in the vessel by fatty plaques, called atherosclerosis, which occurs either in the small or large vessels of the brain.
Atherosclerosis of the vessel develops over the years, due to life habits and diseases without proper treatment, such as obesity, smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides and diabetes.
- Embolism: A stroke due to embolism occurs when an atherosclerosis plaque or a clot detaches from another part of the body or heart, being carried by the bloodstream into the brain.
This situation is more common in people who have some cardiac arrhythmia, such as atrial fibrillation, heart murmurs or some malformation of arteries in the body, such as an aneurysm, for example, as in these cases there is a greater risk of clot formation.
- Other causes: some of the other less common causes of an ischemic stroke are diseases that cause increased blood clotting, inflammation in the vessels, calcification or tumor in the heart, spasm of the cerebral vessels or even use of illicit drugs such as cocaine and amphetamine.
In some cases, transient ischemic stroke can occur, in which the symptoms last, in most cases, about 1 hour, and leave no sequelae. This type can also be known with pre-stroke, so it is important to go to the emergency room to make an assessment and start appropriate treatment in order to prevent it from progressing to a stroke.
The treatment of this type of stroke should be started in the emergency, with medications to improve circulation, such as AAS, and to control pressure, such as Captopril. To better understand how ischemic stroke treatment is performed, see how stroke treatment is performed.
2. Hemorrhagic stroke
Hemorrhagic stroke can also happen in 2 ways:
- Intracerebral hemorrhage: bleeding that occurs inside the brain, due to the rupture of a blood vessel, which may be small, or large, to the point of causing intense inflammation and brain swelling.
The main cause of intracerebral stroke is high blood pressure, but it can also be caused by degeneration of the vessels due to age, use of illicit drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine, blow to the head, rupture of an aneurysm, brain tumor or due to the use of anticoagulant drugs, for example.
- Subarachnoid hemorrhage: bleeding that occurs in the meninges, which are films that surround the brain, so they can compress the brain and cause symptoms.
The main causes of subarachnoid hemorrhage are the rupture of an aneurysm or severe blows to the head, which occur in situations of traumatic brain injuries due to accidents. Find out what are the symptoms, causes and possible sequelae of cerebral hemorrhage.
Cerebral hemorrhage must be treated according to its cause, starting as soon as possible, to avoid complications and sequelae, and it can be with pressure control, surgery, or medication adjustment, for example. See also more details on the treatment and recovery of types of strokes.
