What is a stroke?

A stroke, sometimes referred to as a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or brain attack, occurs when an area of the brain becomes damaged from lack of blood supply to the brain due to a blocked or ruptured blood vessel. This damage can cause lifelong disability or death. Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S.

The Penn Stroke Center provides advanced resources for emergency stroke treatment, neurocritical care and neurorehabilitation.

 The main signs of stroke include a drooping face, arm weakness and difficulty speaking. During a stroke, brain damage can occur in minutes. If you or a loved one is experiencing stroke symptoms, call 911 immediately.

Types of stroke

There are several types of stroke. The most common is ischemic stroke, which accounts for about nine in 10 strokes. Hemorrhagic stroke is a less common but equally dangerous cerebrovascular accident.

How do you know if someone is having a stroke?

Stroke is a life-threatening condition. Knowing the warning signs using the acronym, BEFAST, can help you recognize a possible cerebrovascular accident and take quick action:

  • B — Balance: Sudden loss of balance, difficulty walking, or dizziness. 
  • E — Eyes: Sudden vision changes, including loss of vision in one or both eyes, double vision, or blurred vision.
  • F — Face: Ask the person to smile. One side of their face may droop.
  • A — Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. One arm may drift downward.
  • S — Speech: Have the person repeat a simple phrase. Listen for slurred or strange speech.
  • T — Time: Call 911 right away and note the time when symptoms started. This information helps medical personnel guide treatment.

Stroke symptoms

The early signs of a stroke appear quickly and include sudden:

  • Weakness or paralysis in the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
  • Difficulty speaking or understanding speech /li>
  • Loss of balance or lack of coordination
  • Severe headache
  • Trouble seeing in one or both eyes

Symptoms of a transient ischemic attack (TIA)

Signs of a TIA are like a stroke but they clear up after a few minutes. Because symptoms don’t last, many people ignore a TIA.

More than three in 10 people who have a TIA and do not receive treatment will have a major stroke within one year. That’s why it’s important to seek emergency medical care even if your symptoms go away.

What causes a stroke?

The causes of stroke include a range of conditions that affect your heart and blood vessels. Certain health conditions and other factors also increase your risk of a cerebrovascular accident.

Health conditions associated with stroke

High blood pressure is the main risk factor for stroke. The extra force inside your blood vessels can cause small tears, which turn into scar tissue when they heal. Plaque builds up on these scarred areas, leading to blockages and blood clots. High blood pressure can also cause weakened areas of your blood vessels to break open.

Other heath conditions that increase your chance of having a stroke include:

  • Diabetes: People with diabetes have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure.
  • High cholesterol: Cholesterol is a main component of plaque that deposits inside your arteries in atherosclerosis.
  • Previous stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA): Repeat stroke is very common.
  • Sickle cell disease: In this inherited disease, red blood cells are abnormally shaped like a sickle. The cells can get stuck in a blood vessel and block blood flow. Sickle cell disease mainly affects people who are Black.

Factors that increase stroke risk

There are many factors that increase your risk of stroke:

  • Age: Stroke is more common among older adults but can also occur in adolescents and younger adults. One in seven strokes are in people age 15 to 49.
  • Cigarette smoking and smokeless tobacco use: Smoking damages your heart and blood vessels and increases blood pressure.
  • Excess alcohol use: Alcohol increases blood pressure.
  • Family history: The genes you inherit from your parents, such as in sickle cell disease, may increase the risk of stroke.
  • Obesity: Carrying excess weight is linked to conditions that cause stroke, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes.
  • Poor diet: A diet high in saturated fat, salt and sugar increases your risk of stroke by increasing cholesterol and blood pressure and your risk for diabetes.
  • Sex: Women are more likely than men to have a stroke and to die from stroke.
  • Race and ethnicity: Stroke may be more common in people who are Black, Hispanic, American Indian and Native Alaskan.

You cannot control some of these factors, such as age, race or family history. But you can lower your stroke risk related to these factors by making healthy lifestyle choices.

Stroke treatment at Penn Medicine

Stroke treatments vary by type and, for ischemic stroke, how much time has passed since your symptoms began. At the Penn Stroke Center, you receive personalized care from a multidisciplinary team of experts in:

  • Cerebrovascular disease
  • Emergency medicine
  • Neurocritical care
  • Neurology
  • Neurorehabilitation
  • Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy

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