<p>A <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/stroke.html">stroke</a> is a medical emergency. There are two types - <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ischemicstroke.html">ischemic</a> and hemorrhagic. Hemorrhagic stroke is the less common type. It happens when a blood vessel breaks and bleeds into the brain. Within minutes, brain cells begin to die. Causes include a bleeding <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/aneurysms.html">aneurysm</a>, an <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/arteriovenousmalformations.html">arteriovenous malformation</a> (AVM), or an artery wall that breaks open.</p> <p>Symptoms of stroke are:</p><ul> <li>Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg (especially on one side of the body)</li> <li>Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech</li> <li>Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes</li> <li>Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination</li> <li>Sudden severe headache with no known cause</li> </ul> <p>It is important to treat strokes as quickly as possible. With a hemorrhagic stroke, the first steps are to find the cause of bleeding in the brain and then control it. Surgery may be needed. <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/strokerehabilitation.html">Post-stroke rehabilitation</a> can help people overcome disabilities caused by stroke damage.</p> <p class="">National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke</p>