Types of stroke

Doctors classify stroke by what happens to the brain's blood vessels. The type determines the emergency treatment, which is why a brain scan is done as soon as the patient reaches the hospital. Any stroke type is an emergency: call 112 immediately if symptoms appear.

Ischemic stroke (about 85% of strokes)

A clot blocks an artery feeding the brain.

• Thrombotic stroke: a clot forms inside a brain artery narrowed by fatty deposits (atherosclerosis).
• Embolic stroke: a clot forms elsewhere, often in the heart during atrial fibrillation, and travels to the brain.
• Lacunar stroke: a small deep vessel blocks, often linked to long-standing high blood pressure or diabetes.

Hemorrhagic stroke

A weakened vessel ruptures and bleeds into or around the brain.

• Intracerebral hemorrhage: bleeding inside the brain tissue, usually from uncontrolled high blood pressure.
• Subarachnoid hemorrhage: bleeding around the brain, often from a burst aneurysm, typically with a sudden "worst headache of my life".

Transient ischemic attack (TIA)

A temporary blockage that clears on its own within minutes to hours, leaving no permanent damage on scans. It is a loud warning: the risk of a full stroke is highest in the following days. Same-day emergency evaluation is essential.

Why the type matters

Clot-busting medicine (thrombolysis) helps ischemic stroke but would worsen a bleed, so treatment begins only after a CT or MRI scan identifies the type.

Ayurvedic view (interpretive): Classical texts do not distinguish these types; pakshaghata is described as one vata condition. Modern typing by brain scan is the only safe guide to treatment.

Remember: Stroke is either a blocked vessel (ischemic) or a burst vessel (hemorrhagic), and only a hospital scan can tell which. Treat every sudden neurological symptom as an emergency and call 112.