Skip to main content

Stroke

Link Neuroscience Institute

Neurology & Neurosurgery located in Oxnard, CA & Santa Barbara, CA

Strokes are the fifth leading cause of death, yet many strokes are preventable, and with rapid medical care, you can survive a stroke and return to an active life. The exceptional neurologists at Link Neuroscience Institute have years of experience determining your risk for a stroke, providing preventive care, and giving you expert medical treatment during and after a stroke. To learn how to protect yourself from a stroke or for ongoing stroke care, call the office in Oxnard, Santa Barbara, Camarillo, California, and serving Ventura County, CA, or request an appointment online today.

Stroke Q & A

What causes a stroke? 

A stroke occurs when the blood flow to your brain is significantly reduced or stopped. Without blood, your brain is deprived of oxygen, and brain cells quickly die. Your best chance for a full recovery is to get treatment within three hours of having a stroke.

What symptoms develop during a stroke?

Recognizing the signs of a stroke allows you to take quick action, call 911, and get essential treatment that can save your life.

Stroke symptoms include:

  • Numbness or weakness on one side of your face, arm, or leg
  • Difficulty speaking or understanding others
  • Vision loss, blurry vision, or double vision in one eye
  • Loss of balance or dizziness
  • Severe headache without a known cause

The symptoms of a stroke appear very suddenly.

What are the different types of strokes?

There are three types of strokes:

Hemorrhagic stroke

A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in your brain ruptures.

Ischemic stroke

This type of stroke is caused by an artery that’s blocked by a blood clot or fatty plaque.

Transient ischemic attack (TIA)

TIAs last for a few minutes and don’t cause permanent brain damage. However, one-third of people who have a TIA eventually suffer a full-blown stroke.

How is a stroke treated?

Link Neuroscience Institute provides comprehensive stroke treatment, from screening your risk for a stroke to rapid treatment during a stroke, and ongoing medical care afterward.

The treatment you receive for a stroke depends on the type:

Ischemic stroke

If you get to the hospital within three hours, your provider can insert an intravenous (IV) line and give you medication that dissolves the clot. Otherwise, you will need a neurointerventional procedure. During this procedure, your provider guides a catheter through your blood vessels to the site of the clot in your brain.

They can give you medication to dissolve the clot if the neurointerventional procedure is done within six hours after your stroke. If it’s too late for medication, they use a special device on the end of the catheter to remove the clot.

Hemorrhagic stroke

If you have a hemorrhagic stroke, your provider performs surgery to stop the bleeding and to reduce pressure on the brain. When a brain aneurysm causes a stroke, they may do neurointerventional surgery to close the aneurysm.

Transient ischemic attack

After a TIA, and after any type of stroke, you take anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications to prevent future attacks.

If you need stroke screening or care for a stroke, call Link Neuroscience Institute or request an appointment online today.