What is a stroke?

A stroke is a disruption  in the blood supply to the brain. It is frequently referred to as a cerebrovascular accident or CVA for short. It is also discussed in terms of left CVA or right CVA, referring to the left or right hemisphere of the brain. If the disruption is temporary and blood flow is restored without any residual or remaining difficulty, then a mini-stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) has occurred. If the disruption in blood supply is not restored it will result in permanent damage to the brain tissue that was deprived of blood and oxygen. When this happens, we are talking about a 'full blown' stroke. A more recent term being used instead of stroke is 'brain attack'.