A stroke is a medical emergency. Strokes happen when blood flow to your brain stops.

Within
minutes, brain cells begin to die. There are two kinds of stroke. The more common kind,
called ischemic stroke, is caused by a blood clot that blocks or plugs a blood vessel in the brain.
If the stroke occurs toward the back of the brain, for instance, it's likely that some
disability involving vision will result. The effects of a stroke depend primarily on the
location of the obstruction and the extent of brain tissue affected.

The effects of a stroke depend on several factors, including the location of the
obstruction and how much brain tissue is affected. However, because one side of the
brain controls the opposite side of the body, a stroke affecting one side will result in
neurological complications on the side of the body it affects

Symptoms of stroke are

 Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg (especially on one side of the body)
 Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech
 Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
 Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
 Sudden severe headache with no known cause

 Preventing Stroke: Healthy Living

You can help prevent stroke by making healthy lifestyle choices.

Healthy Diet
Healthy Weight
Physical Activity
No Smoking
Limited Alcohol

Stroke is preventable. Up to 80% of strokes could be prevented through

healthy lifestyle changes and working with your health care team to
control health conditions that raise your risk for stroke.

Eating foods low in saturated fats, trans fat, and cholesterol and high in fiber
can help prevent high cholesterol. Limiting salt (sodium) in your diet can also
lower your blood pressure. High cholesterol and high blood pressure increase
your chances of having a stroke.
If you have any of these symptoms, you must get to a hospital quickly to begin treatment. Acute
stroke therapies try to stop a stroke while it is happening by quickly dissolving the blood clot or by
stopping the bleeding. Post-stroke rehabilitation helps individuals overcome disabilities that result
from stroke damage. Drug therapy with blood thinners is the most common treatment for stroke.

Some effects of stroke are permanent if too many brain cells die after being starved of
oxygen. These cells are never replaced.

The good news is that sometimes brain cells don’t die during stroke — instead, the
damage is temporary. Over time, as injured cells repair themselves, previously impaired
function improves. (In other cases, undamaged brain cells nearby may take over for the
areas of the brain that were injured.)

Either way, strength may return, speech may get better and memory may improve. This
recovery process is what stroke rehabilitation is all about.