The Physiological Factors Behind Two Different Types of Strokes

Simon Whistler, host of the wonderfully informative video series “Today I Found Out” explains the two types of strokes that can occur, the physiological causes of each type and the remedies available for each.

There are two types of strokes: Ischemic and Hemorrhagic. Ischemic strokes are the most common type, accounting for nearly 80% of all strokes. This type of stroke is caused by a blockage of an artery that leads to the brain, or smaller specific area of the brain. “Ischemia” simply means a deficiency of blood supply produced by vaso-constriction or local obstacles to the arterial flow, thus, the term “Ischemic stroke”. Blood-clots are the leading cause of these blockages; however, anything that can block the blood vessel like an air bubble, a tumor, constriction of the blood vessel, or (rarely) a foreign object, can result in an Ischemic stroke. …Hemorrhagic strokes account for the other 20% of strokes. This type also results in blood flow to an area of the brain to be interrupted. Instead of the artery being blocked, though, it bursts open and the blood leaks out and does not get transported to the cells of the brain.