Stroke is a leading cause of impairment in older adults and the third leading cause of death in the United States. But what is a stroke? When a person has a stroke, the blood flow to part of the brain stops or is dramatically reduced.
There are two types of strokes. Eighty percent of strokes are ischemic strokes, caused when a blood clot blocks an artery or vessel in the brain. A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain breaks and bleeds in the brain. During either type of stroke, cells in the brain do not get the oxygen and nutrients they need and start to die.
Up to 25 percent of strokes are preceded by a transient ischemic attack, or TIA, which is a type of "warning stroke." Symptoms of a TIA are the same as those of a stroke, but they last less than 24 hours and approximately 75 percent last less than five minutes. A TIA can occur days or months before a major stroke, but risk of stroke is highest within 48 hours of a TIA.
Mercy is a nationally recognized leader in stroke care, providing integrated services in diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation. The
Mercy Stroke Center, part of Mercy Neurological Institute of Greater Sacramento, is part of a city-wide network responding in-person to acute stroke emergencies and is dedicated to achieving the best possible outcomes for stroke patients.
