Home » Types of Stroke » Ischemic Ischemic stroke occurs when the brain tissues die commonly known as cerebral infarction for the lack of blood and oxygen in the brain. Ischemic strokes are caused by blockage in the arteries. These arteries are the major blood supplying arteries to the brain like internal carotid arteries. The blockage in the arteries are due to a portion of a blood clot known as thrombus and also because of fatty deposit referred as atheroma. Atheroma is caused by the breaking of atherosclerosis. It goes on to become embolus. The breaking of atherosclerosis lets the deposits to be accumulated at the arteries which in turn blocks the flow of blood.

Blood clots are formed by the rupturing of a fatty deposit inside the heart wall or the arteries. The steady flow of the blood is reduced drastically to a trickle and the brain is deprived of its requirements in turn. This slow flowing of blood inside the arteries creates clots. The more narrow the passage in the heart, the more likelier formation of clots.

In ischemic stroke, blood clots are also formed inside the heart and on the heart valves. Those who have undergone heart surgeries for other heart ailments and are suffering from arrhythmia, heart valve disorder and atrial fibrillation are more prone to having such clots. Blood disorders like polycythemia increases the thickness of blood and thereby necessitating clots in the heart. Blockage of arteries are rarely caused by fat embolism syndrome. It happens due to fat from the broken bones are dislodged and gets attached to the blood streams. Loss of blood and and low blood pressure can cause ischemic stroke. It is also seen that the stroke is caused even though the flow of blood is normal. This happens when the blood has less oxygen content.

Conditions like severe anemia, carbon monoxide poisoning and suffocation causes the oxygen level to fall drastically in the blood. The fall in the oxygen in the blood deprives the brain cells of the oxygen thereby causing ischemic stroke. Inflammation or infection in the blood vessels too causes ischemic strokes. Intake of drugs in excess causes the arteries carrying blood to narrow. Too much use of cocaine and amphetamines creates such drastic results. There are not much symptoms to identify the possibility of ischemic strokes. This is so because the stroke happens suddenly. Once the stroke occurs, there is rapid progression in the damage of the brain tissues. However ischemic strokes are stabilized after sometime depending on the opening of the blockages in the arteries.

Evolving strokes creates damage slowly and does not stabilize. The enlargement of the tissues keeps on increasing in moments. The symptoms depend on the affected part of the brain. When the internal carotid artery is affected, there usually is blindness or strange sensations in one eye. There is weakness in the limbs of one side of the body. When the areas that are supplied by vertebral arteries are affected, then the usual symptoms are vertigo, vertigo, weakness and double vision. There is other general symptoms like lack of coordination and speech problems. Intense ischemic stroke can cause coma.