The descriptions below are succintly written by the National Stroke Association.  Download the “Explaining Stroke” booklet to get more information and visual cues.

TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack): Mini Stroke
If an artery leading to the brain, or inside the brain, becomes blocked for a short period of time, the blood flow to an area of the brain slows or stops.  This lack of blood (and oxygen) can cause a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) or mini-stroke, with symptoms such as numbness, trouble speaking, and loss of balance or coordination.  It is common for these symptoms to last for a very short period of time and then disappear.  While TIAs cause no permanent brain damage, they are a serious warning sign of stroke and should not be ignored.

Ischemic Stroke: Caused by Blood Clot
There are two types of ischemic strokes: embolic and thrombotic.

• In an embolic stroke, a blood clot or plaque fragment forms somewhere in the body (usually the heart or in the large arteries leading to the brain) and moves through the bloodstream to the brain.  Once in the brain, the clot blocks a blood vessel and leads to a stroke.
• A thrombotic stroke is a blood clot that does not travel but forms inside an artery which supplies blood to the brain.  The clot may interrupt the blood flow and cause a stroke.

Hemorrhagic Stroke: Caused by Bleed
Strokes caused by a bursting blood vessel in the brain that spills blood into the brain are called hemorrhagic strokes.  High blood pressure and brain aneurysms can both cause the blood vessel to be weak and possibly cause this type of stroke.

• An intracerebral hemorrhage, a type of hemorrhagic stroke, is caused when a burst blood vessel bleeds into the brain.  High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is the most common cause of this type of stroke.  The bleeding causes brain cells to die, and that part of the brain no longer works correctly.
• An aneurysm is a weak spot on the wall of an artery that may balloon out, forming a thin walled bubble.  As it gets bigger, the aneurysm gets weaker and can burst, leaking blood into or outside of the brain.
• In a subarachnoid hemorrhage, the other type of hemorrhagic stroke, a blood vessel bursts near the surface of the brain and blood pours into the area around the outside of the brain.  This bleeding may increase pressure in the brain, injuring brain cells.  This type of stroke has many possible causes, but is usually the result of a burst aneurysm.