Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. A transient ischaemic attack TIA is caused by a temporary cut in blood supply to the brain, due to the partial blockage of an artery by a blood clot or debris. A TIA has the same symptoms as a stroke, but they are temporary as the clot naturally dissolves or is dislodged from the blockage. While it is sometimes called a mini stroke, a TIA does not usually cause long-term brain damage.
A person who has had a TIA is at greater risk of having a stroke or heart attack. Early identification of symptoms and a diagnosis from your doctor greatly reduces the chances of a major stroke. TIA is an early warning for stroke A stroke interrupts blood flow to an area of the brain.
A blood clot could block a blood vessel or more rarely a blood vessel might break. Brain cells in the immediate area are starved of oxygen and die. Without prompt medical treatment, the surrounding brain cells may also die. A TIA has identical symptoms to a stroke, but these last for less than 24 hours and are followed by a full recovery. A TIA is a powerful warning that an area of the brain is being deprived of blood and that a stroke may follow in the next few hours, days, weeks or months.
Urgent medical attention is needed. They can include: visual problems, such as blurring or reduced vision in one or both eyes numbness, weakness or paralysis of the face numbness, weakness or paralysis in an arm or leg, on either or both sides of the body difficulty speaking or understanding dizziness loss of balance swallowing difficulties severe headache or an unusual change in headache pattern nausea vomiting. The FAST test involves asking three simple questions. If the person has a problem with any of these functions, dial triple zero to call an ambulance immediately.
The questions to ask are: F acial weakness — Check their face. Has their mouth drooped? A rm weakness — Can they lift both arms? S peech difficulty — Is their speech slurred? Do they understand you? Time — is critical. The symptoms may appear harmless at first, but they may not resolve. In fact, they can worsen. For a stroke, quick medical care can minimize brain damage and reduce the risk of lasting impairments. TIAs may not be minor — symptoms can be quite severe even though they leave no permanent damage to the brain.
A person who experiences a TIA may have a percent risk of having a full stroke in the next seven days depending on the cause, Streib said. The American Stroke Association confirms that 9 to 17 percent of people who have had a TIA have a stroke within 90 days.
If they seek the proper care, patients can reduce that risk significantly. To significantly reduce the risk of stroke, a person who has experienced a TIA must seek the proper follow-up care immediately after the episode. Streib recommends that all patients visit an emergency room during or immediately after a TIA to receive imaging of their brain and blood vessels.
These scans can inform patients and providers of the cause of their TIA and their immediate stroke risk. Scans also help them decide upon a treatment plan. Additionally, bleeding events in the brain can sometimes mimic TIA and require a completely different treatment. When it comes to a TIA, seeking care at an emergency room is better than making an appointment with a primary care doctor, Streib said, because it can take much longer in the outpatient setting to order tests and interpret results.
For some, that might be too late to prevent a subsequent stroke. This is known as atherosclerosis and can lead to TIAs and strokes if the blood supply to the brain becomes disrupted. By unblocking the carotid arteries when they have become moderately or severely narrowed, a carotid endarterectomy can significantly reduce the risk of having a stroke or another TIA.
Although a TIA should not have a long-term impact on your daily activities, you must stop driving immediately. If your doctor is happy that you have made a good recovery and there are no lasting effects after 1 month, you can start driving again. Page last reviewed: 21 January Next review due: 21 January Treatments include: lifestyle changes medicines surgery Lifestyle changes There are several lifestyle changes you can make that may help to reduce your chances of having a stroke after a TIA.
These include: eating a healthy, balanced diet — a low-fat, reduced-salt, high-fibre diet is usually recommended, including plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables exercising regularly — for most people this means at least minutes of moderate-intensity activity, such as cycling or fast walking, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity such as running, swimming, or riding a bike up a hill, every week.
Plus, strength exercises on 2 days every week stopping smoking — if you smoke, stopping may significantly reduce your risk of having a stroke in the future cutting down on alcohol — men and women are advised to limit alcohol intake to 14 units per week Medicines Most people who have had a TIA will need to take 1 or more medicines every day, long term, to help reduce their chances of having a stroke or another TIA. Aspirin and other antiplatelet medicines You'll probably be given aspirin straight after a suspected TIA.
Aspirin works as an antiplatelet medicine. Platelets are blood cells that help blood to clot. Anticoagulants Anticoagulant medicines can help to prevent blood clots by changing the chemical composition of your blood in a way that stops clots from forming. Find out more about anticoagulants. Blood pressure medicines If you have high blood pressure , you'll be offered a type of medicine called an antihypertensive to control it.
There are lots of different types of medicine that can help control blood pressure, including: thiazide diuretics angiotensin-converting enzyme ACE inhibitors calcium channel blockers beta-blockers Your doctor will advise you about which antihypertensive is the most suitable for you.
Statins If you have high cholesterol , you'll be advised to take a medicine known as a statin. Find out more about statins.
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