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What is stroke?
"The brain controls movement, feeling, language, sight, hearing and balance."
A stroke happens when the blood supply to parts of the brain is suddenly reduced.
This can happen in two ways:
- blood vessels can become blocked;
- blood vessels can leak.
Blockages
A blood clot can block a blood vessel in the brain. This is called a thrombus or an embolus.
A thrombus is a clot which builds up and blocks a blood vessel.
An
embolus is a clot which forms, then breaks off and travels
along a blood vessel until it gets stuck.
Leaks
Blood vessels can become thin or weak.
An aneurysm is a weakness or thinning in the wall of a blood vessel.
Sometimes blood vessels can burst and leak. A haemorrhage is a burst blood vessel. Blood leaks into the tissue around the blood vessel.
Some words you may hear
CVA = short for 'cerebrovascular accident' - another term for stroke
cerebral infarction = damage caused to the brain tissue
TIA = short for 'transient ischaemic attack'. Sometimes called a 'mini-stroke'. This is like a stroke, but the effects pass very quickly
hypertension = high blood pressure
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Keywords