A stroke may cause permanent damage if it is not treated quickly, so what are the causes of a stroke? What are the risk factors? Can it be avoided? Here are the details in the following article.

Let''s get acquainted with the most important causes of stroke and the factors that increase the risk of developing it, in addition to the methods of prevention as follows:

Causes of stroke

A stroke occurs when one of the blood vessels supplying the brain ruptures, bleeds, or becomes blocked, which prevents the delivery of blood and oxygen to the brain cells, which leads to damage and death of the cells within minutes, causing various symptoms that appear quickly and suddenly.

There are many causes of stroke, including the following

1. Thromboembolism

It is the most common cause of stroke, as a blockage in one of the brain arteries leads to a lack of blood and oxygen access to the brain cells fed by the artery, causing them to die and stop the work of the organ controlled by these cells.

2. Embolic clot

It occurs when a blood clot or deposits of cholesterol and calcium break loose from a chamber of the heart or the wall of a blood vessel in the body to reach an artery in the brain, causing it to become blocked.

3. Cerebral hemorrhage

Cerebral hemorrhage occurs due to the rupture of a blood vessel in the brain and its bleeding into the surrounding cerebral tissues, causing symptoms of a stroke through the following:

Loss of blood flow to some cells.

Cerebral edema due to bleeding.

Increased intracranial pressure.

4. Subarachnoid hemorrhage

It occurs when blood from a blood vessel ruptures or leaks and collects under the arachnoid membrane, causing symptoms such as:

Severe and sudden headache.

Nausea.

vomit

light intolerance.

stiff neck.

In this case, you must go to the emergency room and treat the bleeding to avoid coma and brain death.

5. Vasculitis

In some rare cases, vasculitis causes reduced blood flow to parts of the brain.

6. Sister

There is a slight increase in the incidence of stroke for those who suffer from migraine, and some migraine attacks may resemble the symptoms of a stroke, but they disappear with the end of the attack.

Stroke risk factors

In addition to the causes of stroke, there are a number of factors that may increase the risk of stroke, including the following:

1. Lifestyle factors

Which may include the following

Obesity.

Not doing sports activities.

smoking.

Drinking large amounts of alcohol.

Stress and nervous tension.

2. Medical factors

Certain medical conditions are associated with a higher risk of stroke, including

Hypertension.

High cholesterol.

diabetes.

Obstructive sleep apnea.

Heart diseases, such as coronary artery disease and arrhythmias.

Having a family or personal history of stroke.

Defects in the heart valves.

Cardiomegaly.

Sickle cell disease.

3. Personal factors

There are certain personal risk factors for stroke, such as

Age: The risk of stroke increases with age.

Race: African Americans have a higher risk.

Gender: Men are more likely to be affected than women.

Use of hormones: Undergoing hormone therapy or using birth control pills increases the risk of infection.

Stroke prevention tips

After identifying the causes of stroke, it is necessary to inform you of the possibility of reducing the risk of developing the disease by adhering to several things, the most important of which are as follows:

Making lifestyle changes, such as

Eat a healthy balanced diet.

Doing regular exercise.

Maintain a healthy weight.

Stay away from smoking.

Controlling the level of blood pressure.

Diabetes control.

Treating heart disease.