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Transient ischemic attack (TIA) also known as a ‘mini stroke’ or ‘warning stroke’ in medical circles produces stroke-like symptoms which can last for anything between 1-2hours but has no lasting damage. It is considered a warning sign that a more serious stoke will happen in the future and hence the correct diagnosis and treatment of TIAs can reduce the risk of a major stroke later on.
The difference between a TIA and stroke lies in the fact that TIAs happens when most often a clot blocks or reduces the blood flow to part of the brain.
After a short time, the blood is able to flow again and the symptoms go away. Whereas with a stroke, the blood flow stays blocked, and permanent damage to the brain is seen.
Risk factors
Age: the risk of TIA is known to increase with age.
Gender: men are at an increased risk compared to women.
Family history
Obesity
Hypertension
Diabetes
High cholesterol
Cardiovascular disease
Sleep apnea (a sleep disorder characterized by abnormal pauses in breathing or instances of abnormally low breathing, during sleep).
Cigarette smoking
Heavy alcohol consumption
Physical inactivity and poor eating habits
Some TIA risk factors can be treated or controlled while some cannot.
Causes: the most common cause of transient ischemic attack (TIAs) is blood clots. The other causes are:
Partially blocked arteries that can reduce the blood flow to the brain.
Inflammation in the blood vessels.
Injury to the head or neck which has damaged the blood vessels in that area.
Conditions like abnormal clotting, sickle cell disease, etc. that can cause blood cells to clump together.
Symptoms: of TIA are similar to those of stroke, but they do not last as long. These include:
- Loss of balance or coordination
- Speech and vision can be affected.
- Numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body
- Confusion and or the inability to follow commands.
- Severe ,sudden headache with no known cause.
TIAs are extremely important predictors of stroke-do not ignore them. Seek medical help as soon as you experience any stroke like symptoms-never wait to see if the symptoms go away!
SwetaUchil-Purohit, Dietitian
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