


Ongoing treatments will include anti-clotting medications and drugs to lower blood cholesterol. If the event is truly a stroke, ideally the medicine needs to be given within three hours after your symptoms start for it to be most effective. Since it's hard to know in the moment the extent of the blockage, you may be given a clot-dissolving drug immediately. When treating TIAs, the ultimate goal is to prevent a full-fledged stroke. They also tend to be middle-aged or older to have diabetes, high blood pressure, and abnormal cholesterol to smoke and to get little exercise. Typically, people who have TIAs have a history of heart problems. Sometimes these tests include angiography, in which a special dye is injected into your veins before the scan to highlight areas where the blood flow may have been compromised.Īnother red flag for a likely TIA is the presence of other cardiovascular risk factors. You will also undergo brain-imaging tests, such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans that can show brain injury. Noting which part of your body was most affected can provide clues. The doctor will rely heavily on your description of the timing, the duration, and your experience during the episode. The first step is determining whether your episode did indeed stem from lack of blood flow in the brain. Instead, the best action is to be evaluated at a hospital TIA clinic if you have one nearby, or go to the emergency department to be checked out as soon as possible. In contrast, conditions that mimic a TIA tend to create multiple or more widespread neurological effects, including fainting and generalized tingling in the arms and legs.īecause it can be difficult to distinguish problems resulting from reduced blood flow versus other brain disruptions, don't ignore the incident or attempt self-diagnosis. Therefore, the effects are most likely to be localized to a specific brain function, such as speech or vision, or to cause isolated weakness in one limb or side of the body (see the box below for warning signs). The distinguishing feature is that a TIA or stroke stems from decreased blood flow located in one particular blood vessel in the brain. To further complicate matters, other neurological disruptions such as migraines, minor seizures, and low blood sugar can mimic TIA symptoms. Stroke and TIA symptoms can vary widely depending on the part of the brain that is affected. But the same underlying causes are still present and are very likely to cause a stroke in the near future." What are common TIA symptoms? A person who has a TIA has had ischemia but has 'ducked the bullet' because there was no lasting damage to the brain. The chain of events that leads to a TIA is basically the same for as a stroke. The term "ischemic" specifies that the symptoms result from an obstruction in blood flow, and "attack" refers to an isolated event. In fact, most TIAs are over within a few minutes. "Transient" refers to the fact that these episodes are most often very brief, lasting less than an hour. To appreciate a TIA, it helps to understand each of the separate terms in its name. What is a TIA mini stroke?Ī TIA, or mini stroke, is a problem in the blood vessels of the brain that causes a temporary decrease in blood flow to a certain brain region. While both of these explanations are entirely plausible, you may be missing the signs of a transient ischemic attack (TIA) if you jump to conclusions too quickly. You skipped lunch today, so low blood sugar is your excuse. Or you're suddenly overcome by a dizzy spell. "That trick knee of mine is acting up again," you think. Your leg crumples under you as you walk down the sidewalk. TIA (andquot mini stroke") symptoms can come in many forms, and are often brushed aside. Ignoring TIA stroke symptoms can lead to major consequences
