A closer look – ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke

In an ischemic stroke (on the right) a blood clot blocks the flow of blood in blood vessels feeding the brain. The underlying condition for this type of obstruction is the development of fatty deposits lining the vessel walls. In a hemorrhagic stroke (on the left) a blood vessel bursts, causing bleeding in the brain.

In both types of stroke, the brain is robbed of oxygen and nutrients causing the cells in the brain to die. It is estimated that two million brain cells die every minute during a stroke.

For more information, read Strokes still largely misunderstood