There are two main types of stroke, ischemic, and hemorrhagic.
Ischemic strokes are more common, and involve a blockage such as
a blood clot preventing the blood flow in a blood vessel leading
to the brain. Hemorrhagic strokes involve the actual bursting of
a blood vessel leading to the brain. In both cases the lack of
blood flow to the brain can cause brain damage in varying
severity depending on where the damage occurs. Similar to these
two types of strokes, but less severe in nature, are TIA's or
Transient Ischemic Attacks, aka "mini strokes". TIA's occur when
instead of a complete blockage or rupture of a blood vessel, the
blood flow is merely slowed down for a short amount of time.
Symptoms of a stroke include headache, loss of consciousness,
blurred vision, loss of strength on one side of the body,
drooping on one side of the mouth while smiling, and slurred
speech. The easiest way to tell if someone may be suffering from
a stroke is to ask them to smile, you will notice a marked
difference on one side