2. Stroke

A stroke is a medical emergency that requires immediate attention. Sometimes it brings serious complications, and sometimes it can be resolved without major problems. Not all strokes lead to death or paralysis. Even when the patient is left with some consequences, a high percentage can improve completely with the help of physical or verbal therapy.

Ischemic strokes occur because a blockage in the artery prevents blood from flowing normally to the brain. This can be due to local damage, fatty plaques (atherosclerosis) inside the artery, or a clot that forms in the heart and travels through the larger arteries but gets trapped in the smaller ones.