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        Stroke: Types and Causes
                                                    What are the different types of strokes?                           
                                                
                                                
                                            
                                                - Article last reviewed 09 May 2019
- 2 mins read
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There are two main types of stroke.
Ischaemic Stroke: "Blocked Artery"
 
This is the most common type of stroke. It occurs when a blood clot is lodged in an artery and cuts off blood supply to the brain. It is usually caused by either:
 
Related: Carotid Artery Disease
Haemorrhagic Stroke: "Burst Artery"
 
This occurs when there is a rupture of a blood vessel causing bleeding in the brain. It is usually caused by:
- High blood pressure 
- Defects in the blood vessel wall such as cerebral aneurysms 
 
Besides the two types of strokes mentioned above, there is also a temporary stroke known as transient ischaemic attack.  
Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) or "Mini-stroke"
This happens when there is a temporary interruption of blood supply to the brain. Thus there is no permanent brain damage and the symptoms go away completely within a few minutes.
Related: You Can Spot a Stroke
Learning About Stroke
For more on stroke, go to our StrokeHub
Contributed By
- An initiative by the Stroke Services Improvement Team in collaboration with all public healthcare institutions.
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