Final answer:
The most common type of stroke is an ischemic stroke, accounting for nearly 90 percent of strokes. It is caused by a blood clot blocking blood flow to the brain, resulting in neurological symptoms and potential disability. Hemorrhagic strokes involve brain bleeds and are less common, while TIAs are minor strokes with symptoms that resolve quickly.
Step-by-step explanation:
The most common type of stroke is an ischemic stroke, which accounts for almost 90 percent of all strokes. This type of stroke occurs when a blood clot or embolus obstructs a blood vessel, cutting off blood flow to the brain and leading to the death of brain cells due to lack of oxygen. The clot may form in a part of the body and then travel to the brain, or it may form directly within the cerebral arteries. Typically, a cerebral embolism can arise from conditions like arrhythmias where clots form in the heart. An ischemic stroke can lead to a variety of symptoms including difficulty in moving, feeling, or seeing on one side of the body, speech and comprehension difficulties, confusion, and dizziness.
Hemorrhagic strokes, on the other hand, involve bleeding within or around the brain and also result in brain cell death. Both types of stroke can lead to severe disability or death, depending on the severity and the speed of medical intervention. A less severe form, called a transient ischemic attack (TIA), involves stroke symptoms that resolve within 24 hours due to the restoration of adequate blood flow.