Causes Of Ischemic Stroke

People with family members that have had a stroke are at a greater risk for having a stroke themselves. The risk for stroke also increases in individuals with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. People who smoke, consume excessive... Full Answer

 An embolism occurs when foreign material, such as a broken-off piece of plaque or a blood clot travels through the bloodstream and becomes lodged in a blood vessel blocking the flow of blood. When an embolism blocks the flow of blood to the brain,... Full Answer

Cerebral thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot inside an artery that supplies part of the brain, blocking the flow of blood. It is a type of ischemic (blockage) stroke. Full Answer

Large-artery atherothrombotic stroke occurs when atherosclerotic plaque builds up and narrows an artery in any of four strategic locations -- the origin of the internal carotid artery, the siphon portion of the internal carotid artery, the middle... Full Answer

An embolic stroke is caused when a blood clot from the heart, aorta, or other source travels toward the brain, blocking a blood vessel that supplies blood to the brain. Smaller clots may travel to smaller, more distant vessels of the brain and block... Full Answer

Small-vessel (lacunar) stroke is caused by obstruction of a single blood vessel that branches off the circle of arteries in the brain known as the circle of Willis. The obstruction may result from injury to vessel walls from high blood pressure and... Full Answer

There are some contagious infections such as cytomegalovirus or herpes simplex that can narrow the arteries or cause inflammation that triggers a stroke. Having had an infection within a week of the onset of a stroke is one of the risk factors for an... Full Answer

A history of either parent having had an ischemic stroke raises the risk that their children will have a stroke. Children may inherit genetic risk factors for strokes, such as sickle cell disease, or may inherit sensitivity to these risks factors.... Full Answer

Atherosclerosis is a condition in which plaque, or fat, accumulates in the arteries. This can either restrict blood flow or block it completely, leading to an ischemic stroke. People with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, as well as... Full Answer

Ischemic strokes usually result when a blood clot or accumulation of fat in an artery (atherosclerosis) causes a reduction in blood flow in the brain. Occasionally, lipohyalinosis, a disorder in which fat and tissue build up in the arteries, leads to an... Full Answer