In simple terms, What's a stroke?

A stroke is the death of brain cells caused by an interference in blood flow to parts of the brain.

A stroke is termed medically a CVA or cerebral vascular accident. Cerebral, having to do with the brain, vascular having to do with the blood vessels. This can occur either from a clot travelling through the vessels and occluding the blood flow to an area, a piece of plaque can break off of the interior wall of a vessel and travel to the area, or there can be a small rupture or break in a vessel wall. The first two are termed thrombotic or occlusive strokes and the last is termed a hemorrhagic stroke. Any area that does not receive oxygen due to occlusion of the vessel will result in death of the surrounding brain tissue. In hemorrhagic strokes, damage is caused by the blood that leaks into the area causing increased pressure and resultant damage to the area. If a person has a stroke on the right side of their brain, they have weakness or other symptoms including paralysis on the left side of the body. Vice versa, if a person has a stroke on the left side of the brain, the symptoms show up on the right side of the body.

A stroke can be a mini stroke called a TIA or Trans ischemic attack in which blood flow is blocked from getting to where it needs to flow in the brain but in nothing much important and only for a short time and then blood gets in. Or a CVA which is a cerebral vascular accident in which the blood has been blocked by possibly a clot and shuts off oxygen to a part of the brain permenently. During a cva some parts of the brain are affected temporarily by relationship to those permenently affected and so some recovery is expected within the first 2 weeks. After that, what ever difficulty this has caused in speach apashia or mobility in the upper or lower extremities or arms and legs is pretty much permanent. Since our left brain controls the right side of our body then if you have a left brain attach, it will affect your right side and if a right brain attach, it will cause a left side problem with the body.

Basically, it's a disruption in the supply of blood to the brain, causing varying degrees of damaged based on how long the disturbance persists. Strokes can occur for various reasons (clots, cardiac arrest), and are not always deprivation of blood from the brain -- sometimes, too much blood (i.e. higher than normal blood pressure) can cause internal hemorrhaging.

I'm not a doctor, but that's what I've known it to be...

A stroke is when there is an interruption of the blood supply to any part of the brain.
Blood clots, are one of the most common causes.

blood clot in the brain, the blood cannot get past the clot so what ever part of the brain cant be reached is damaged permenantly unless the clot is removed.

A clot in the brain that shuts off circulation and causes brain cells to die. Brain bleed is not considered a stroke, but it has essentially the same results.

odd that this question is in heart diseases...

anyway, simply put, something's not getting blood.

the end.

A stoppage of blood flow to the brain.

Either by blood clot, atherosclerosis, or hemorrhage.

Its like a heart attack, except when the artery block is knocked loose, it flies into the brain and can cause severe damage.

You probably wouldn't want to get one.

loss of brain function due to lack of blood flow (due to constriction of arteries or obstruction)

a stroke is a blood clot that travels into the brain.

When there's not enough blood going to the brain.

A loss in brain function caused from the disturbance of blood flow to the brain.

severe dehydration....sun stroke

i think its where you have a blood clot on your brian

lack of blood flow to part of the brain.