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A stroke is a result of loss of blood flow to the brain that hinders brain functioning and injures the blood vessels. However, there are two major types of strokes that can occur:

1. Ischemic stroke: most common type of stroke which happens due to the deposition of fatty substance on the walls of blood vessels that take blood to the brain. The fat eventually starts to block the artery, creating irregular heartbeat that leads to clotting of blood. It’s very similar to a heart attack.
2. Hemorrhagic stroke: this is a more serious type of stroke where the blood vessel in the brain swells up and bursts or starts to leak. It can be a cause of uncontrolled high blood pressure or taking blood thinner medicines regularly.

Let’s move on to discussing the general causes of the above types of strokes and what you should keep in check in order to avoid a brain stroke or hemorrhage.

High blood pressure

Its very important to maintain a normal blood pressure since it is said to be the leading cause of strokes. It causes hypertension, irregular heartbeat and is unable to fulfill the body’s oxygen requirements. The normal readings for any healthy person should be around 120/80 mm Hg. 

Diabetes

The second most common cause that leads to strokes is diabetes. This condition is usually accompanied by high blood pressure and being overweight. In diabetes the sugar levels shoot since the body is unable to convert all the ingested food in energy. And despite the body’s natural reaction to produce insulin to digest sugars, all of them are not digested instead they get deposited in our blood vessels. 

Smoking / tobacco

Smoking is something that is practiced all over the world and is known to be a highly addictive product. Cigarettes contains tobacco which when burned, the smoke results in depositing fat in your neck artery. It also contains blood thickening agents that lower your blood pressure and is most likely to create blood clots. Being a passive smoker can also be quite detrimental to your health!

High cholesterol

Cholesterol can be described as a fatty, wavy substance present in every cells in the bloodstream. However, our food intake, plant-based and animal-based, both, contains cholesterol that helps in maintaining certain body functions like hormone levels and regulating digestion! It all goes downhill when ‘bad’ cholesterols reach high levels in our body. Another drawback is that there are no apparent symptoms or signs that can indicate high cholesterol levels hence it’s important to get it checked every now and then.

Last but not least you’re more likely to suffer from a stroke if you have any heart disease or suffer from obesity. In fact, a heart disease (for e.g. coronary heart disease) can be said to be the early stages or pre-stroke stage and if your weight continues to grow it will start depositing in the main arteries that take blood to your heart and brain. Resulting in poor circulation of oxygen-rich blood and it eventually leads to death.

In conclusion, it all boils down to taking precautionary steps, following a healthy diet plan and being responsible enough to avoid intake of harmful substances in large amounts. Brain strokes can cause a lot of damage; half-body paralysis, a brain injury, vascular dementia and in worst cases other organs also start declining.