Hi, thank you for your question. A stroke happens when blood supply to an area of brain is cut off. The two main causes of stroke are ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke. Ischaemic stroke occurs when blood supply to the brain is interrupted due to a blood clot. Meanwhile, haemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures.

Some people may experience a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) (ministroke). Blood supply to the brain is temporarily cut off in this case, and there is no lasting symptoms or permanent tissue damage.

Risk factors of stroke includes high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking, excessive drinking, obesity and cardiovascular disease. Symptoms of stroke depends on which area of the brain is affected. Some of the symptoms are numbess or paralysis on one side of the body, visual changes, slurred speech, headache, dizziness, and unconsciousness.

It is important to seek medical help as soon as possible if a stroke is suspected in order to minimise brain injury. Blood tests, computerised tomography (CT) scan, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) will need to be conducted to diagnose stroke.

There is little evidence to suggest that a stroke is linked to migraine. Migraine is a common issue. They can happen at the same time, but we do not know if they are linked. It is also possible for someone to have a stroke but have it mistaken for migraine. Stroke can mimic migraine and similarly headache due to migraine can mimic a stroke.

Also, migraine stands out as a risk factor of stroke only in young women. Migraine tends to improve with age and is an insignificant risk factor after the age of 50. This is because hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity, smoking and advancing age are more likely to cause stroke in this age group.

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