Strokes

So what actually is a stroke, Louise?

So basically, a stroke is when the blood vessels in the brain becomes blocked or causes a rupture.

So it could be ischemia, as we call it, which is a blockage, basically, or it could be that it's ruptured and then you get a hemorrhage or a bleed on the brain.

The fact that the brain is starved of oxygen is what we then refer to as a stroke.

And the symptoms that it displays, even if it's not the case, if you see those symptoms, which we'll talk about in a minute, that is when you need to get emergency services to you as quickly as possible.

And what's a TIA that people talk about?

A TIA, some people call it a mini stroke.

Actually, the name is what it is.

It's transient ischemic attack.

Transient means it comes and then it goes.

Ischemia means that there's been a blockage there.

So imagine you've got a hosepipe with lots of fur in it and it's going through the system and suddenly it gets blocked and then it releases itself and the water comes out.

That's effectively what happens with a TIA.

So you get the blockage, it stops everything.

And because it stops everything, you get the symptoms of a stroke, but then it carries on its way and it passes through that vessel.

So it's not like a stroke itself where a stroke, it will block, it will stay blocked.

And as a result, you will get permanent damage.

That's a stroke.

The damage will then continue on its way and it will relieve itself.

Do

TIAs have an accumulative effect?

They can.

Yeah.

You can have multiple TIAs.

And the main reason we are so concerned about them is because it is certainly the sign that you may go on to have a much larger stroke and permanent damage may occur.