Table of contents:
All types of strokes are dangerous, but a few of them are known causes of acute disability and / or lead to death. Below we describe the most common strokes that are known to have the potential to cause acute disability and even death.
Brainstem stroke
All nerve impulses from the brain going to the body have to go through the brain stem, which is why a brain stem stroke can be more dangerous than a spinal cord injury.
The brain stem also controls nearly all important functions, such as respiration, blood pressure, and heart rate, and is the brain's awareness center, allowing us to remain aware of the world around us. Therefore, depending on the severity of the brainstem stroke, a person can become hemiplegic, paralyzed, or permanently unconscious.
Bilateral Watershed Stroke
Watershed stroke got their name from the effect on a part of the brain commonly referred to as the "watershed area." This section receives its blood supply from the end of the furthest branch of the two adjacent vessels and requires adequate blood pressure to ensure adequate blood is pumped to that area at all times. Because of this, watershed sites on both sides of the brain are at high risk of developing ischemia, or lack of blood flow, at times of low blood pressure, which can be caused by extreme dehydration, heart attack, and sepsis (a widespread infection).
This stroke causes severe disability because it affects most of the muscle groups on both sides of the body (shoulders and hips, for example). People with carotid stenosis (blockage of the neck vessels) on both sides of the neck are especially prone to suffering from this type of stroke.
Hemorrhagic stroke
Hemorrhagic strokes are caused by bleeding in the brain. There are many reasons why someone may experience bleeding in the brain, but some of the most dangerous include:
- Arteriovenous malformations
- The aneurysm burst
- Uncontrolled high blood pressure
- Bleeding disorders
- Traumatic injury to the head
- Dural sinus thrombosis
- Brain tumor
Hemorrhagic strokes are extremely dangerous because blood in the brain can sometimes lead to dangerous conditions such as hydrocephalus, increased intracranial pressure, and dangerous spasms of blood vessels. If not treated aggressively, this condition can lead to severe brain damage, brain herniation, and even death. This is why even a small episode of bleeding within the brain requires emergency evaluation by a neurosurgeon.
Large thrombotic stroke
Thrombotic strokes are caused by large blood clots, which form in, or migrate to, one of the main blood vessels of the brain. These large blood clots are extremely dangerous because they can actually stop the blood from flowing to the largest and most important blood vessels in the brain.
The so-called "malignant cerebral artery syndrome /malignant middle cerebral artery (MCA) syndromeIs an example of this stroke. In this stroke the MCA is blocked by a large blood clot causing a large infarction (i.e., death) of almost all sides of the brain. The strong swelling that follows as a result of a major event causes a rapid increase in brain pressure throughout the brain. Later, this high pressure causes global brain dysfunction, impaired consciousness and very often, brain herniation and death.
A large thrombotic stroke is generally the result of a medical condition in which a person has a tendency to form blood clots in the blood vessels of the brain, in the liver, or in the blood vessels that carry blood to the brain. These conditions include carotid, spinal, or basilar artery dissection, and atrial fibrillation.
Unfortunately, these stroke symptoms can be deceptive, and at first they can seem like dizziness or a headache. However, certain strokes have a tendency to cause very specific symptoms. For example, the classic symptom of a hemorrhagic stroke (bleeding inside the brain) is a sudden onset of headaches that people usually describe as "the worst headache of a lifetime." A large brainstem stroke usually causes double or blurred vision, vertigo, imbalance when walking, and / or nausea and vomiting. Depending on the part of the brain that is affected, a large thrombotic stroke can cause sudden weakness and numbness to one side or the whole body. A large stroke can also cause sudden loss of consciousness. It goes without saying if you, or someone you know, has been affected by these symptoms immediately act fast and rush to the hospital without delay.
