The type of stroke you have affects your treatment and recovery.

The three main types of stroke are:

• Ischemic stroke.
• Hemorrhagic stroke.
• Transient ischemic attack (a warning or “mini-stroke”).

Learn about the health conditions and lifestyle habits that can increase your risk for stroke.

Ischemic Stroke

Most strokes (87%) are ischemic strokes.  An ischemic stroke happens when blood flow through the artery that supplies oxygen-rich blood to the brain becomes blocked. Blood clots often cause the blockages that lead to ischemic strokes.

Hemorrhagic Stroke

A hemorrhagic stroke happens when an artery in the brain leaks blood or ruptures (breaks open). The leaked blood puts too much pressure on brain cells, which damages them.

High blood pressure and aneurysms—balloon-like bulges in an artery that can stretch and burst—are examples of conditions that can cause a hemorrhagic stroke.

There are two types of hemorrhagic strokes:

• Intracerebral hemorrhage is the most common type of hemorrhagic stroke. It occurs when an artery in the brain bursts, flooding the surrounding tissue with blood.
• Subarachnoid hemorrhage is a less common type of hemorrhagic stroke. It refers to bleeding in the area between the brain and the thin tissues that cover it.

Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)

A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is sometimes called a “mini-stroke.” It is different from the major types of stroke because blood flow to the brain is blocked for only a short time—usually no more than 5 minutes.

It is important to know that:

• A TIA is a warning sign of a future stroke.
• A TIA is a medical emergency, just like a major stroke.
• Strokes and TIAs require emergency care. Patients are directed to call 911 right away if they feel signs of a stroke or see symptoms in someone around them.
• There is no way to know in the beginning whether symptoms are from a TIA or from a major type of stroke.
• Like ischemic strokes, blood clots often cause TIAs.
• More than a third of people who have a TIA and don’t get treatment have a major stroke within 1 year. As many as 10% to 15% of people will have a major stroke within 3 months of a TIA.

Recognizing and treating TIAs can lower the risk of a major stroke. If you have a TIA, your health care team can find the cause and take steps to prevent a major stroke.