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Home / Vascular Disease / What is a TIA? Transient Ischemic Attack Explained

What is a TIA? Transient Ischemic Attack Explained

November 16, 2022 by Philip Johnson, MD, PhD Leave a Comment

Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke, and every year more than 795,000 people suffer from a stroke. Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA), also known as a “mini-stroke,” is a stroke where blood flow to the brain is blocked only for a short time. It is often a precursor to a full stroke and in this article we’ll go over everything you need to know from symptoms to risk factors and prevention. 

Two Types of Stroke:

There are two types of stroke: Ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic strokes are the most common at 87% and are caused by a blood clot in the vessels that serve the brain. Hemorrhagic strokes occur when an artery in the brain leaks or ruptures. This blood causes a build up of pressure on the brain, causing damage to brain cells. 

Transient Ischemic Attacks, also known as a “mini-stroke,” is a stroke where blood flow to the brain is blocked only for a short time.

Transient Ischemic Attack Symptoms:

Episodes of Transient Ischemia are often brief – usually lasting less than an hour. While occasionally symptoms may linger up to 24 hours, most signs and symptoms go away within an hour. The signs and symptoms of a TIA are similar to those encountered in a stroke and may include:

Face, arm, or leg weakness, numbness, or paralysis, usually on one side of the body. speech that is slurred or muddled, or trouble comprehending others, double vision or blindness in one or both eyes, dizziness, lack of coordination, or vertigo. An important acronym to remember is FAST. This stands for Face droop, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to dial 911. 

The most important thing to do after a suspected TIA is to get medical help right away because TIAs typically happen hours or days before a stroke. If you believe you may have had a TIA, seek emergency medical care right away. You might be able to avoid having a stroke with prompt diagnosis and identification of possibly curable disorders. 

Ischemic Stroke Risk Factors and Stroke Prevention: 

Anyone can have a stroke at any time, but as with most diseases there are some risk factors that can be helped to reduce the likelihood. Of course, there are also risk factors that can not be changed. Some factors that you can change to reduce the likelihood of a stroke are: smoking, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, illegal drugs. On the other hand, some factors that can not be changed are: Older age, past strokes, genetics. 

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Filed Under: General Health, Vascular Disease Tagged With: Diabetes, Hypertension (High Blood Pressure), mini stroke, Stroke, transient ischemic attack

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Philip Johnson, MD, PhD

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