Only some of the vessels that exist in a real brain havebeen labeled.

• Blockage of a blood vessel (in thebrain orneck) caused by:
  • a blood clot in the brain or neck (this is called a thrombosis)
  • a blood clot from somewhere else that has moved and now blocks ablood vessel in the brain or neck (this is called an embolism)
  • constriction or narrowing of an artery in the head or neck (this iscalled a stenosis)
• Bleeding of a blood vessel (this iscalledhemorrhagic stroke)

There are several warning signs that occur with a brain attack:
Reprinted with permission from TheNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

• Sudden weakness or numbness of theface,arm, or leg on one side of the body.
• Sudden dimness or loss of vision,particularlyin one eye.
• Sudden difficulty speaking ortrouble understanding speech.
• Sudden severe headache with no knowncause.
• Unexplained dizziness, unsteadiness, or suddenfalls, especially withany of the other signs.

There are several conditions linked to stroke:
Reprinted with permission from TheNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

• High blood pressure - Eat abalanced diet,maintain a healthy weight, and exercise to reduce blood pressure. Drugsare also available.
• Cigarette smoking - Don't start smokingand if you do smoke, quit!
• Heart disease - Your doctor will treatyourheart disease and may also prescribe medication to help prevent theformation of clots.
• Diabetes - Treatment can delaycomplications that increase the risk of stroke.
• Transient ischemic attacks - These arebriefepisodes of stroke's warning signs and can be treated with drugs or surgery.