Types of Stroke: Ischemic Stroke

What is ischemic stroke?

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Ischemic stroke happens when part of the brain is injured because it isn’t getting enough blood. The brain needs a constant supply of blood, which carries oxygen and other nutrients. The brain cannot survive for long without the oxygen carried by the blood. If a small part of the brain doesn’t get enough blood, that small part of the brain, will die. This is what happens in ischemic stroke.

Normally, blood from the heart flows freely through arteries to the brain. In image 1 at at right, you can see how blood flows up through arteries that fan out into smaller and smaller branches and carry blood to every part of the brain. In the second image, the arrow points to a clot that blocks one of the arteries that feeds part of the brain. The pale-colored part of the brain depended on that artery, and now is injured. This is ischemic stroke.

What are the symptoms of a stroke?
Stroke is an injury to part of the brain. The symptoms of a stroke depend on what part of the brain has been injured. Every part of the brain has a different job. Different parts of the brain control everything from the way we think and speak, to how we move, to our senses of sight, smell, hearing, and touch. If a part of the brain that controls speech is injured, a child might have trouble saying or understanding words. If a part of the brain that controls movement is injured, part of a child’s body may become weak. Some children might have trouble with their vision or coordination. Other kids might have more subtle symptoms, like difficulty concentrating or numbness in a very small area of the body, like a finger or hand. Many children have symptoms that are not specific to any particular part of the brain, like headache and sleepiness. Some children have seizures, and in very rare cases, a large stroke can cause a coma or death. Your doctor will tell you what part of your child’s brain has been injured by stroke, and how this causes your child’s symptoms.

Next: What causes an ischemic stroke?

Last Updated: June 13, 2005