They can also result in devastating permanent consequences, including paralysis and an inability to talk or understand speech. The range and duration of problems related to brain attacks can be quite variable. The duration of low oxygen to the brain determines the end result. If the brain is deprived of oxygen for too long, permanent brain damage occurs.
Blood carries oxygen to the brain.
In almost all cases of brain attacks, low oxygen to the brain is a result of poor blood flow. Poor blood flow to the brain can occur for different reasons. The most common reason is blocked or clogged arteries that supply the brain with blood. This is usually due to cholesterol plaque build up, called atherosclerosis, which develops over many years. The heart can be another cause of low blood flow to the brain.