What causes a stroke?
Strokes are caused by a lack of blood flow to certain parts of the brain, which can occur when there is a blockage in an artery or blood clots break off and travel through arteries. One significant cause of stroke (and heart attack) is atherosclerosis, which occurs with a build-up in arteries’ inner lining that increases their thickness.
Atherosclerosis increases with age and weight; you have a higher risk if you carry more fat on your body than muscle. Hormones also play a role, as atherosclerosis seems to be accelerated by estrogen imbalance and progesterone deficiency. Ironically enough, estrogen may help protect against the effects for more extended periods during pregnancy, while progesterone promotes healthy cholesterol levels.
In many cases, stress itself is not a direct cause of stroke or heart attack, and it may be an indirect effect. For example, chronic high blood pressure can lead to blocked arteries because hypertension increases your risk of developing atherosclerosis over time.
Stress also has been shown to increase inflammation in the body by activating cells called mast cells, which release histamine and other inflammatory substances.
Known causes of strokes are as follows:
- Sudden blockage or rupture in any brain artery (sudden onset)
- Improper blood pressure such as arterial hypertension (slow build-up)
- Thrombus formed on the wall of a diseased segment of the artery where there’s atherosclerosis, which leads to thrombotic stroke (slow build-up)
- The arteriovenous malformation can result in cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, which may cause rupture. This is especially likely with this condition if it has not been diagnosed and treated appropriately beforehand. The stroke will usually be sudden but may sometimes be more insidious, appearing to start as a headache (slow build-up)
- Brain tumor (sudden onset)
- An aneurysm is an abnormal saclike swelling of one or more arteries most often caused by chronic high blood pressure. The artery may rupture, causing bleeding in the brain and sudden death if not treated promptly and appropriately. A ruptured cerebral aneurysm is a rare but very serious condition.
- Carotid artery dissection can lead to stroke if it’s not treated correctly. This will usually be sudden, with symptoms including weakness or numbness on one side of the body and difficulty speaking due to paralysis of muscles in the face (slow build-up)
