When to Call Your Doctor Vocabulary Stroke Stroke, sometimes called brain attack, is a general name for a variety of disorders that occur within seconds or minutes when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted. Some 550,000 Americans suffer strokes every year - and 150,000 die from them.
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States.
Warning signs are indications that the brain isn't getting enough oxygen. Sometimes, people will experience stroke symptoms that disappear within a few minutes. TIAs are a risk factor for stroke and shouldn't be ignored. Your doctor will perform tests to determine the cause of TIAs and treat the problem through surgery or medication, if possible. There are four major types of strokes - two are caused by clots, and two by hemorrhage.