A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is suddenly blocked or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. … Paralysis is a common outcome of stroke, often on one side of the body (hemiplegia). Paralysis may affect only the face, an arm or a leg, or it may affect one entire side of the body and face.

A person with loss of blood flow to the heart is said to be having a heart attack; similarly, a person with loss of blood flow to the brain or sudden bleeding in the brain can be said to be having a “brain attack.”
Although stroke is a disease of the brain, it can affect the entire body, including cognitive and memory deficits, speech problems, emotional difficulties, daily living problems, and pain.