Stroke Causes

A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is blocked (called ischemic stroke). This is caused by one of the following:

• Sudden decreased blood flow
  • Damage to a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain can occur suddenly from either:
    • Injury
    • A clot that forms and breaks off from another part of the body (such as the heart or neck)
    • There are certain conditions which predispose people to form blood clots, such as:
      • Cancer
      • Pregnancy
      • Atrial Fibrillation
      • Certain autoimmune diseases
• Local blood clot
  • A build-up of fatty substances (Atherosclerosis) along the inner lining of the artery causes:
    • Narrowing of artery
    • Reduced elasticity
    • Local inflammation
    • Blood protein defects leading to increased clotting tendency
    • Decreased blood flow in the artery
• Clot in an artery supplying the brain
• Inflammatory conditions in the blood vessels (vasculitis)

A stroke may also occur if a blood vessel breaks and bleeds into or around the brain. This is called hemorrhagic stroke.

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