Medicines and drugs are used to remove blood clots and to prevent new ones, as well as reducing some of the main causes of strokes which are high blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Rarely, surgery is necessary to clear out fatty deposits in your arteries or to relieve the pressure in the brain caused by the stroke.
The effects of a stroke vary and even with treatment they can be long lasting.
Rehabilitation can be a life-long process and aims to help stroke survivors relearn the skills they lost. It may mean learning to walk again, or performing everyday tasks such as dressing or bathing using only one hand, or learning how to communicate in new ways.
One in three people will make a good recovery and should be able to lead an independent life. Another third will have ongoing disabilities, sometimes severe ones. And the final third will die, around 10-15% of these will be within the first month. These BSL health clips were made by SignHealth with help and information from the NHS. For more information or advice, visit http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stroke/
