Causes of Stroke

What are the Causes of Stroke

The causes of stroke vary depending on the type of stroke—ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. Ischemic stroke involves blockage of a blood vessel in the brain and brain cells die as a consequence. Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel breaks in the brain. The presence of blood causes brain cells to die. Here are specific reasons for why these events happen:^[14]

Causes of Ischemic Stroke

• Thrombotic stroke. This type of stroke occurs when a clot forms in one of the arteries that supply blood to the brain. This is the result of atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries.

• Embolic stroke. This type of stroke occurs when a clot forms somewhere other than the brain. If the clot breaks loose, it can travel to the brain and block an artery there. Typically, the clot comes from the heart during atrial fibrillation when the upper chambers of the heart beat irregularly.

TIAs are typically due to clots blocking blood flow in the brain. TIAs are brief, but they indicate there is a problem with blood vessel in the brain that may cause a problem again later. If you've had a TIA, you are more likely to have a full-blown stroke.

Causes of Hemorrhagic Stroke

• Intracerebral hemorrhage. This type of stroke occurs inside the brain and is usually due to high blood pressure. High blood pressure causes blood vessels to be brittle and break easily.

• Subarachnoid hemorrhage. In this type of stroke, bleeding occurs in an artery in or near the surface of the brain. Blood enters into the space between your brain and your skull. It causes a sudden and severe headache. The leaking blood causes other blood vessels to act erratically resulting in less blood in other areas of the brain and further damage. Typically, this type of stroke is caused by a burst aneurysm, which is a ballooning section of a blood vessel caused by weakness in the wall of the vessel.

Stroke Due to Vasculitis

Vasculitis can cause stroke. Vasculitis is an inflammation of blood vessels due to autoimmune diseases of connective tissues such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. The inflammation can cause a reduction in blood flow. It can also cause blood to leak. The condition can cause strokes.^[15][16]