strokes

[dannyday5821]

is a stroke a potentially life threatening situation?

[beso]

A stroke is caused by a blood vessel being blocked to part of the brain. This part then dies. The extent of the threat to life depends on which part is affected.

[Golem]

Yes they are, but as beso suggests there are degrees of severity in the same way that there are 'mild' heart attacks that are almost unnoticed through to a fatal attack.

Also, like heart attacks, the consequences of the stroke can seriously affect a persons quality of life that contributes to their eventual demise.

However, if the cause of the stroke can be identified fast enough then there is emergency treatment available to prevent any long term damage.

There are three causes of stroke; embolitic and thrombolitic are blood clots or deposits in the blood vessels that decrease the blood flow to the brain; and hemorrhagic, when a blood vessel bursts and there is a bleed in the brain. Blockages are easier to clear than dealing with a bleed - which is probably the most acute and immediately life-threatening type of stroke.