How does ischemic stroke affect the brain

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In the body there are two deep temporal arteries. These arteries are called the posterior and anterior deep temporal arteries. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Seunggu Han, M. What are the symptoms? What causes ischemic stroke? What are the risk factors?

How is it diagnosed? What complications are associated with ischemic stroke? How is ischemic stroke treated? What does recovery from ischemic stroke entail? Read this next. Stroke Recovery: What to Expect. What Are the Different Types of Strokes? Medically reviewed by Kerry Boyle D. Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M. First Aid for Stroke First aid for a stroke can mean the difference between a full recovery and permanent disability or even death.

What Is a Choroid Plexus Cyst? Ischemic Stroke Clots. A main cause of embolism is an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation. It can cause clots to form in the heart, dislodge and travel to the brain. Learn more about atrial fibrillation. This involves opening up a section of your skull to allow the brain to swell outwards and relieve some of the pressure.

This can only be carried out in neurosurgery centres so people often have to move hospitals for this treatment.

Most people who have an ischaemic stroke will be given anti-platelet medication , which helps to reduce the risk of more clots forming. For most people, this will be a daily dose of aspirin, and doctors will advise you how long you will need to take this. If you receive thrombolysis, you have to wait at least 24 hours before you can begin taking aspirin. If aspirin is not suitable for you, you may be given an alternative drug, such as clopidogrel.

In the longer term, you will be prescribed blood-thinning medication to take indefinitely. For most people, this will be an anti-platelet medication, but for others such as those with atrial fibrillation , it will be an anticoagulant such as warfarin, apixaban, dabigatran, edoxaban or rivaroxaban. The team on the stroke unit will continue to monitor you closely for at least 24 hours to ensure you remain stable.

After a stroke, you should have a swallowing test. This should be done within four hours of you being admitted to the hospital. This means that according to your needs, you might be seen by a physiotherapist, speech and language therapist, occupational therapist, dietitian, orthoptist and a psychologist. You will be supported to get up or walk around as soon as you are able to.

After 24 hours, you may be able to start moving around more or having rehabilitation therapy. The members of your stroke team should work with you to find the best position for you to sit or lie down, and help you to reposition yourself at regular intervals.

As soon as you are well enough, your doctor should talk to you about what may have caused your stroke and what action needs to be taken to reduce your risk of it happening again. This could mean taking medication or making changes to your lifestyle, or both. Make sure you understand what you need to do and why. The effects of a stroke depend on both the location of the stroke in your brain and how much the stroke has damaged your brain.

Although the effect of each stroke is different, people may experience some of the following:. A stroke can also lead to emotional problems such as anxiety, depression or changes to your behaviour. For some people, the effects of a stroke may be relatively minor and may not last long, while others may be left with long-term effects or a disability. Everyone recovers differently. Some people recover fully. Other people will have health problems or a disability. The fastest recovery takes place in the first few months.

After that progress can be slower, but people can continue to improve for months or years after a stroke. This is called neuroplasticity. You should receive rehabilitation soon after your stroke. It may begin in the hospital and should carry on at home if you need it. Rehabilitation is part of your recovery. It means trying to restore function to as near normal as possible, and helping you adapt to disability.

During rehabilitation, the therapist carries out a full assessment and designs treatment tailored to your needs. Depending on the type of therapy, you may have exercises to practice. You may work towards building up stamina or learn new ways of doing things. One of the biggest worries for many people is whether they will have another stroke. This can be part of the emotional impact of stroke on you, your family and friends. But it can help to know that when you have a stroke, one of the main aims of your hospital team is to stop you from having another stroke.

Brain scans and other tests and checks find out what caused your stroke and allow doctors to target your treatment. After an ischaemic stroke, you will be given medicine to avoid blood clots forming. If you have a health condition linked to stroke such as high blood pressure , you will be given any treatment and advice that you need to help you avoid another stroke. Having a stroke or TIA means that your risk of having another stroke is increased. The risk is highest in the days and weeks after a stroke, which is why doctors work so hard to reduce your risk early on.

In the months and years after a stroke, you could help to keep your risks low by following the treatments for your health conditions, and making any lifestyle changes that are possible for you. When you have a stroke, doctors check you for any health conditions linked to stroke. These health conditions include:.

You should also be given advice about other ways of reducing your risk of a stroke. Some people need to lose weight , exercise more , give up smoking or drink less alcohol. You can find advice and information about reducing your risk on our website.

If you have any questions about your medication, go back to your doctor or pharmacist and ask. Tell them if you are worried about side effects, as there will often be an alternative that you can take. Never stop taking your medication without talking to your doctor first. Brain cells begin to die in minutes. A stroke is a medical emergency, and prompt treatment is crucial.

Early action can reduce brain damage and other complications. The good news is that many fewer Americans die of stroke now than in the past. Effective treatments can also help prevent disability from stroke. If you or someone you're with may be having a stroke, pay particular attention to the time the symptoms began.

Some treatment options are most effective when given soon after a stroke begins. Seek immediate medical attention if you notice any signs or symptoms of a stroke, even if they seem to come and go or they disappear completely. Think "FAST" and do the following:. Call or your local emergency number right away.

Don't wait to see if symptoms stop. Every minute counts. The longer a stroke goes untreated, the greater the potential for brain damage and disability. If you're with someone you suspect is having a stroke, watch the person carefully while waiting for emergency assistance.

There are two main causes of stroke: a blocked artery ischemic stroke or leaking or bursting of a blood vessel hemorrhagic stroke. Some people may have only a temporary disruption of blood flow to the brain, known as a transient ischemic attack TIA , that doesn't cause lasting symptoms. Ischemic stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks or narrows an artery leading to the brain.

A blood clot often forms in arteries damaged by the buildup of plaques atherosclerosis. It can occur in the carotid artery of the neck as well as other arteries. This is the most common type of stroke. It happens when the brain's blood vessels become narrowed or blocked, causing severely reduced blood flow ischemia. Blocked or narrowed blood vessels are caused by fatty deposits that build up in blood vessels or by blood clots or other debris that travel through your bloodstream and lodge in the blood vessels in your brain.

Some initial research shows that COVID infection may be a possible cause of ischemic stroke, but more study is needed. Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in your brain leaks or ruptures. Brain hemorrhages can result from many conditions that affect your blood vessels. Factors related to hemorrhagic stroke include:. A less common cause of bleeding in the brain is the rupture of an abnormal tangle of thin-walled blood vessels arteriovenous malformation. A transient ischemic attack TIA — sometimes known as a ministroke — is a temporary period of symptoms similar to those you'd have in a stroke.

A TIA doesn't cause permanent damage. They're caused by a temporary decrease in blood supply to part of your brain, which may last as little as five minutes. Like an ischemic stroke, a TIA occurs when a clot or debris reduces or blocks blood flow to part of your nervous system. Seek emergency care even if you think you've had a TIA because your symptoms got better.