Strokes kill about 140,000 Americans each year and are the fifth leading cause of death according to the CDC.
A stroke occurs when there is a disruption of blood flow in the brain, either a blockage of a blood vessel (an ischemic stroke) or a blood vessel bursting and bleeding into the brain (a hemorrhagic stroke). The ischemic or blocked blood vessel stroke is most common, accounting for about 80-90% of strokes.
While there is no way to reliably predict strokes in the future, it is vitally important to spot the warning signs when a stroke is occurring.
