Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsWhat Is the Main Cause of Embolic Stroke?Embolic Stroke DiagnosisTreatment for Embolic StrokeRisk FactorsPrognosis
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
What Is the Main Cause of Embolic Stroke?
Embolic Stroke Diagnosis
Treatment for Embolic Stroke
Risk Factors
Prognosis
An embolic stroke is a type ofischemic strokethat occurs when anembolus(ablood clotthat breaks off from a larger blood clot) travels from elsewhere in the body to block an artery in the brain. The other type of ischemic stroke is a thrombotic stroke, when a blood clot forms within an artery in the brain and blocks blood flow. More than 85% of strokes areischemic.
Read on to learn more about the risk factors, symptoms, and treatments for embolic stroke.
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When Should You Suspect an Embolic Stroke?
Whether embolic or thrombotic, ischemic strokes generally share the same symptoms.
These include:
Dial 911If you or someone else experiences any of thesymptoms of a stroke, seek medical attention immediately.
Dial 911
If you or someone else experiences any of thesymptoms of a stroke, seek medical attention immediately.
Atrial fibrillation, or AFib, is a leading cause of embolic strokes. This type of irregular heart rhythm can cause blood to pool, thicken, and clot in the heart or arteries near it. Pieces of these clots can travel to the brain. AFib accounts for about 15% of ischemic strokes.
Other, less frequent causes of embolic strokes include:
Stroke diagnosis begins with a physical andneurological exam. In addition to checking your vital signs (such as blood pressure), a first responder or healthcare provider will test your reflexes and check your strength, sensation, and vision.
If your healthcare provider suspects you’ve had a stroke, they’ll confirm your diagnosis with other tests, such as:
How Stroke Is Diagnosed
A stroke is a medical emergency. It needs to be treated as quickly as possible to minimize damage to brain tissue and prevent or limit any long-term impact.
Sometimes treatment for an ischemic stroke is aimed at clearing the blockage. In select cases, this includes the use of intravenous (IV)tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA. This drug is most effective if given within three hours after symptoms start.
Your healthcare provider may recommend surgery to remove the blockage. This procedure, called athrombectomy, involves inserting a catheter into the artery to clear it. This procedure can be done within 24 hours of the initial symptoms but is most effective if performed within six hours after symptoms begin.
If you’ve had a stroke, your healthcare provider will also search for the cause so that you can have treatment to prevent another one. Once you’re stable, you may need additional tests, such as anelectrocardiogram,echocardiogram, or angiogram.
Risk Factors for Stroke
Like other ischemic strokes, embolic strokes can occur due to underlying risk factors, including:
Other risk factors for stroke can include:
TIAs are strong predictors of stroke. A person who’s had one or more TIAs is almost 10 times more likely to have a stroke than someone of the same age and sex who hasn’t. Recognizing and treating TIAs can reduce your risk of a major stroke. TIA should be considered a medical emergency and followed up immediately with a healthcare professional.
Strokes can be fatal or have devastating long-term consequences if not treated quickly. Because brain cells begin to die soon after blood flow is interrupted, time is critical.
For instance, if thebasilar arteryis blocked, oxygenated blood may not reach the occipital lobes, brainstem, and cerebellum—areas that control functions like breathing, sight, and movement. If a person survives abasilar artery stroke, these functions could be impaired or lost.
Experts agree thatrehabilitationplays a major part in stroke recovery, and should begin as soon as possible after a stroke.Individual rehabilitation plans center on returning to daily living activities and overcoming serious and potentially long-lasting impacts on cognitive, physical, and emotional health.
What Is a Small Vessel Stroke?
Summary
Risk factors include age, race, and a previous history of stroke or heart attack. The prognosis depends on several factors such as which artery was blocked, blockage duration, and the area of the brain affected. Rehabilitation plays an important role in stroke recovery. The key to surviving an embolic stroke is prompt treatment.
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Stroke Association.Ischemic stroke (clots).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Leading causes of death.American Stroke Association.Learn more stroke warning signs and symptoms.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Types of stroke.Shepherd Center.Stroke Diagnosis.Francalanza I, Ciacciarelli A, Caragliano AA.Acute stroke treatment in patients with basilar artery occlusion: a single-center observational study.Cerebrovascular Diseases Extra. 2019;9(2):90-97. doi:10.1159/000502084American Stroke Association.Ischemic stroke treatment.Bushnell C, Kernan WN, Sharrief AZ, et al.2024 Guideline for the Primary Prevention of Stroke: A Guideline From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association [published correction appears in Stroke. 2024 Dec;55(12):e439. doi: 10.1161/STR.0000000000000482].Stroke. 2024;55(12):e344-e424. doi:10.1161/STR.0000000000000475National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Prevention.Khare S.Risk factors of transient ischemic attack: An overview.J Midlife Health. 2016;7(1):2-7. doi:10.4103/0976-7800.179166Johns Hopkins Medicine.Stroke recovery timeline.
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Stroke Association.Ischemic stroke (clots).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Leading causes of death.American Stroke Association.Learn more stroke warning signs and symptoms.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Types of stroke.Shepherd Center.Stroke Diagnosis.Francalanza I, Ciacciarelli A, Caragliano AA.Acute stroke treatment in patients with basilar artery occlusion: a single-center observational study.Cerebrovascular Diseases Extra. 2019;9(2):90-97. doi:10.1159/000502084American Stroke Association.Ischemic stroke treatment.Bushnell C, Kernan WN, Sharrief AZ, et al.2024 Guideline for the Primary Prevention of Stroke: A Guideline From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association [published correction appears in Stroke. 2024 Dec;55(12):e439. doi: 10.1161/STR.0000000000000482].Stroke. 2024;55(12):e344-e424. doi:10.1161/STR.0000000000000475National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Prevention.Khare S.Risk factors of transient ischemic attack: An overview.J Midlife Health. 2016;7(1):2-7. doi:10.4103/0976-7800.179166Johns Hopkins Medicine.Stroke recovery timeline.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Stroke Association.Ischemic stroke (clots).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Leading causes of death.American Stroke Association.Learn more stroke warning signs and symptoms.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Types of stroke.Shepherd Center.Stroke Diagnosis.Francalanza I, Ciacciarelli A, Caragliano AA.Acute stroke treatment in patients with basilar artery occlusion: a single-center observational study.Cerebrovascular Diseases Extra. 2019;9(2):90-97. doi:10.1159/000502084American Stroke Association.Ischemic stroke treatment.Bushnell C, Kernan WN, Sharrief AZ, et al.2024 Guideline for the Primary Prevention of Stroke: A Guideline From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association [published correction appears in Stroke. 2024 Dec;55(12):e439. doi: 10.1161/STR.0000000000000482].Stroke. 2024;55(12):e344-e424. doi:10.1161/STR.0000000000000475National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Prevention.Khare S.Risk factors of transient ischemic attack: An overview.J Midlife Health. 2016;7(1):2-7. doi:10.4103/0976-7800.179166Johns Hopkins Medicine.Stroke recovery timeline.
American Stroke Association.Ischemic stroke (clots).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Leading causes of death.
American Stroke Association.Learn more stroke warning signs and symptoms.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Types of stroke.
Shepherd Center.Stroke Diagnosis.
Francalanza I, Ciacciarelli A, Caragliano AA.Acute stroke treatment in patients with basilar artery occlusion: a single-center observational study.Cerebrovascular Diseases Extra. 2019;9(2):90-97. doi:10.1159/000502084
American Stroke Association.Ischemic stroke treatment.
Bushnell C, Kernan WN, Sharrief AZ, et al.2024 Guideline for the Primary Prevention of Stroke: A Guideline From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association [published correction appears in Stroke. 2024 Dec;55(12):e439. doi: 10.1161/STR.0000000000000482].Stroke. 2024;55(12):e344-e424. doi:10.1161/STR.0000000000000475
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Prevention.
Khare S.Risk factors of transient ischemic attack: An overview.J Midlife Health. 2016;7(1):2-7. doi:10.4103/0976-7800.179166
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Stroke recovery timeline.
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