Different Types of Strokes

Many people have misperceptions about how someone will be affected by a stroke.

You might automatically envision mobility difficulties and hemiplegia, or perhaps swallowing problems, or maybe even being unable to speak and communicate.

In reality, there are different types of strokes and therefore, different resulting symptoms. It is important to know exactly what type of stroke your patient has experienced in order to predict some of these symptoms.

A stroke, also known as a cerebrovascular accident, is the interruption of blood supply to part of the brain, resulting in acquired (non-traumatic) brain injury (Mayo Clinic 2020; Brain Injury Association of America 2018).

The disruption of blood flow deprives the affected area of the brain from the nutrients and oxygen it needs to survive, resulting in cell death (Mayo Clinic 2020).

There are two main types of stroke: ischaemic and haemorrhagic.