This condition is called ischemia, a lack of oxygen mainly caused by artery blockage. Further damage is inflicted on brain tissue as oxygen starvation triggers a deadly cascade of chemical reactions. The result is a stroke. A stroke also occurs when blood vessels rupture, flooding the brain with blood, which cuts off connecting pathways. This disrupts chemical and electrical flows to the muscles and causes injury to brain tissue.
Every stroke is different, and strokes can affect individuals in ways that are almost limitless.
Although no one suffers from every possible consequence of a stroke, the effects may range from mild and barely observable to severe and painfully obvious. The area of the brain in which a stroke occurs determines which bodily functions are impaired. A common affliction is weakness or paralysis of the upper and lower limbs. Generally, this is limited to one side of the body, the side that is opposite the side of the brain where the stroke occurs. Some individuals may retain the use of their arms and legs, only to find that their muscles shake to such an extent that their limbs seem to go off each in its own direction.