Today, the word stroke is not unknown to most people . Strokes or ictus are one of the main causes of death in the world, being in our country the second largest cause of death and the first in women over 75 years of age as well as the main cause of disability.

This phenomenon is due to a blockage in the circulatory system in the brain, which causes death by asphyxiation of part of the brain. But not all strokes occur in the same way or from the same causes. In order to better understand this phenomenon, in this article we will analyze the different types of strokes that exist.

Stroke

We understand stroke to mean death or alteration of brain tissue produced by obstructions or ruptures of the blood vessels responsible for supplying them. The effects of these phenomena will vary greatly depending on the area affected, and can range from death to loss of skills such as sight or movement of part of the body.

Usually the factors that lead to the occurrence of stroke are silent (special caution should be taken with hypertension and diabetes, as well as the use of tobacco and alcohol) and the person who suffers from it is usually not aware of the possibility of suffering from it.

In addition, a large part of the population does not know the main warning signs that could be signalling a stroke. There are three very relevant symptoms whose joint presence is usually linked to stroke: the existence of hemiparesis or sudden paralysis of one side of the face (it is common to see it in the smile), the existence of sudden speech disorders (uncoordinated, illogical, unintelligible or bizarre speech) and weakness or hypotonia (even paralysis) of one or more extremities of a hemicorpe.

It is imperative that medical services be accessed as quickly as possible, as early care will prevent or reduce brain tissue death. Even if it does not result in the death of the patient, it is likely to result in some form of disability (although in many cases lost skills may be recovered).

Types of stroke

As we have said, not all strokes have the same characteristics, occur in the same way or are due to the same causes. That is why we have different classifications regarding the types of stroke.

In general, the existence of two large groups has been considered, within which we can find various typologies .

1. Hemorrhagic stroke

Hemorrhagic stroke or brain hemorrhage is a type of stroke that occurs when one or more blood vessels break, causing blood to flood the brain tissue and suffocate. Added to this damage is the pressure that the accumulation of blood inside the skull can cause. They can occur not only in the brain but also at the level of the meninges and within the brain’s ventricles.

Different types of hemorrhagic stroke can be found, which can be caused in different circumstances.

1.1. Stroke due to traumatic brain injury

A traumatic brain injury can cause a stroke to appear in the form of a cerebral haemorrhage , when the blood vessels in the brain break.

1.2. Aneurysmic stroke

Another frequent cause of cerebral haemorrhage is the presence of aneurysms , localised widening of the blood vessels that are generated due to the weakness of the blood vessels. These are blood-filled protrusions that, because they have a weakened wall, are very easy to break under the pressure of blood flow.

1.3. Stroke due to AVM and other malformations

There are different disorders and syndromes of genetic origin that cause the blood vessels in the brain to not develop correctly or to be very fragile, as occurs in arteriovenous malformation syndrome , which can easily be broken .

2. Ischemic stroke

Also called cerebral infarction, ischemic stroke occurs when one of the arteries in the brain becomes blocked, thereby interrupting the flow of blood to part of the brain . This means that the brain tissue does not have the oxygen and nutrients it needs to survive, and dies within a short time. Generally, when we talk about stroke we usually refer to this type, being the most frequent of the big types.

Within ischemic strokes we can find several types.

2.1. Stroke

In an embolism, the element that causes the artery to be blocked comes from outside the nervous system , travels through the blood to the nervous system and causes ischemia if it is larger than the blood vessel it passes through. It is usually a blood clot that breaks loose from its source.

2.2. Stroke due to cerebral or atherothrombotic thrombosis

In this type of ischemic stroke the blockage occurs within the brain’s own blood vessels . It is usually common in people with arteriosclerosis.

2.3. Lacunar or small vessel stroke

Lacunar ictus is a subtype of ischemic stroke in which the obstructed blood vessel is an arteriole , part of the branches of the arteries that reach different points of the brain. The amount of tissue that dies is usually small, but it can also have serious effects depending on the area where it occurs. There may also be no symptoms at all, and the lesion may remain silent.

2.4. Transient ischemic attack

This type of ischemic stroke occurs when one of the blood vessels supplying a part of the brain becomes blocked, but the system itself is able to overcome it so that symptoms occur in a short period of time that can last up to 24 hours.

However, although it resolves on its own, it is usually indicative of the possibility of developing a more severe and permanent stroke, making it necessary for the affected person to carry out prevention strategies and controls of his or her health status. It would be similar to the relationship between angina pectoris and a heart attack.

2.5. Haemodynamic stroke

This is a type of stroke in which there is a decrease in the blood pressure level that causes the blood to not reach strong enough to properly irrigate the entire brain. Although there may not be an obstruction as such, it is considered to be within the scope of ischemic stroke.