by Healthwise
What is a transient ischemic attack (TIA)?
A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a warning sign of a stroke. It happens when blood flow to part of the brain is temporarily blocked or reduced, often by a blood clot. This causes the same symptoms as a stroke, but after a few minutes, blood flow is restored and the symptoms go away. With a stroke, however, the blood flow is not restored, and damage to the brain is permanent.
Even though the effects of a TIA are temporary and your symptoms may have gone away, you still need to see a doctor right away to help prevent a future stroke.
Many people do not even know that they have had a TIA until they tell their doctor later about their symptoms.
What are the symptoms of a TIA?
Symptoms of a TIA come on suddenly. They can vary depending on which part of the brain is affected. Common symptoms include the following:
You may feel weak on one side of your body, or you may not be able to move an arm, a leg, or your face on one side of your body. Or, you may not be able to move at all on one side of your body.
You may feel numbness, tingling, or heaviness on one side of your body.
You may not be able to see, or you may have changes in vision such as blurring or double vision, dimness, or a sensation that a shade has been pulled down over your eyes.
You may have trouble speaking or finding or understanding words.
You may feel unsteady, dizzy, or clumsy. You may walk unevenly or faint. You may also have a drop attack, which is a sudden loss of strength in your legs.
It is not always easy to recognize a TIA because you may think that your symptoms are caused by aging or other conditions. Symptoms usually disappear by the time you go to a doctor. In some people, however, symptoms can last up to 24 hours.
What causes a transient ischemic attack?
A blood clot is the most common cause of a TIA. The clot may form in an artery in the brain or may travel through the bloodstream from the heart.
Within seconds of the blockage, brain cells are affected and cause symptoms in the parts of the body controlled by those cells. Once the clot dissolves, blood flow returns, and the symptoms go away.
Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), heart attack, and abnormal heart rhythms are the most common causes of blood clots that result in a TIA or stroke.
In some cases, a TIA may be caused by a severe drop in blood pressure that reduces blood flow to the brain. This type—called a "low-flow" TIA—occurs less often than other types.
See an illustration of a transient ischemic attack.
What tests do I need if I have had a TIA?
If you think you are having a TIA, call 911 immediately. There is no way to know whether your symptoms are caused by a stroke or a TIA. If your symptoms have gone away, it is still important to see your doctor immediately and to describe your symptoms in detail.
Your doctor will also check to see if there is another cause of your symptoms, such as a seizure, migraine headache, or Bell's palsy.
Tests that you may need include:
A CT scan of your head. A CT scan is a type of X-ray that can produce detailed pictures of your brain and blood vessels.
An MRI test and/or a magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA), which provide pictures of the brain and blood vessels.
Doppler ultrasound, which checks blood flow through the carotid arteries (the major arteries that lead to the brain).
Angiogram of your head and neck.
You may have an echocardiogram to check for blood clots in your heart and/or an electrocardiogram (EKG) to check for arrhythmias if your doctor thinks that heart problems may be the cause of the TIA.
What is the treatment for TIA?
If you have a TIA, you may need to take medicine to reduce your chances of developing more blood clots and having a stroke.
If you have narrowed carotid arteries, you may need a surgery called a carotid endarterectomy to reopen them. This surgery helps prevent blood clots that block blood flow to the brain.
A relatively new procedure called carotid artery stenting is another option for some people who are at high risk of stroke. This procedure is much like coronary angioplasty, which is commonly used to open blocked arteries in the heart. During this procedure, a vascular surgeon inserts a metal tube called a stent inside your carotid artery to increase blood flow in areas blocked by plaque. The surgeon may use a stent that is coated with medicine to help prevent future blockage.
What increases my risk of a TIA?
High blood pressure. You can lower your risk of TIA by lowering your blood pressure.
High cholesterol. High cholesterol increases your risk of atherosclerosis, which can lead to blood clots. By lowering your cholesterol, you can lower your chance of having a TIA.
Smoking. If you stop smoking, you can lower your risk of having a TIA.
Heart disease. The higher your risk of heart attack, the higher your chance of having a TIA. By lowering your risk of heart attack, you also reduce your chance of having a TIA.
Age. Most TIAs occur after the age of 60.
Family and medical history. If one of your family members has had a stroke or TIA or you have had a previous TIA, you are more likely to have a stroke or TIA.
Some diseases, such as diabetes and sickle cell disease, can increase your risk of having a TIA.
What is a transient ischemic attack (TIA)?
A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a warning sign of a stroke. It happens when blood flow to part of the brain is temporarily blocked or reduced, often by a blood clot. This causes the same symptoms as a stroke, but after a few minutes, blood flow is restored and the symptoms go away. With a stroke, however, the blood flow is not restored, and damage to the brain is permanent.
Even though the effects of a TIA are temporary and your symptoms may have gone away, you still need to see a doctor right away to help prevent a future stroke.
Many people do not even know that they have had a TIA until they tell their doctor later about their symptoms.
What are the symptoms of a TIA?
Symptoms of a TIA come on suddenly. They can vary depending on which part of the brain is affected. Common symptoms include the following:
You may feel weak on one side of your body, or you may not be able to move an arm, a leg, or your face on one side of your body. Or, you may not be able to move at all on one side of your body.
You may feel numbness, tingling, or heaviness on one side of your body.
You may not be able to see, or you may have changes in vision such as blurring or double vision, dimness, or a sensation that a shade has been pulled down over your eyes.
You may have trouble speaking or finding or understanding words.
You may feel unsteady, dizzy, or clumsy. You may walk unevenly or faint. You may also have a drop attack, which is a sudden loss of strength in your legs.
It is not always easy to recognize a TIA because you may think that your symptoms are caused by aging or other conditions. Symptoms usually disappear by the time you go to a doctor. In some people, however, symptoms can last up to 24 hours.
What causes a transient ischemic attack?
A blood clot is the most common cause of a TIA. The clot may form in an artery in the brain or may travel through the bloodstream from the heart.
Within seconds of the blockage, brain cells are affected and cause symptoms in the parts of the body controlled by those cells. Once the clot dissolves, blood flow returns, and the symptoms go away.
Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), heart attack, and abnormal heart rhythms are the most common causes of blood clots that result in a TIA or stroke.
In some cases, a TIA may be caused by a severe drop in blood pressure that reduces blood flow to the brain. This type—called a "low-flow" TIA—occurs less often than other types.
See an illustration of a transient ischemic attack.
What tests do I need if I have had a TIA?
If you think you are having a TIA, call 911 immediately. There is no way to know whether your symptoms are caused by a stroke or a TIA. If your symptoms have gone away, it is still important to see your doctor immediately and to describe your symptoms in detail.
Your doctor will also check to see if there is another cause of your symptoms, such as a seizure, migraine headache, or Bell's palsy.
Tests that you may need include:
A CT scan of your head. A CT scan is a type of X-ray that can produce detailed pictures of your brain and blood vessels.
An MRI test and/or a magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA), which provide pictures of the brain and blood vessels.
Doppler ultrasound, which checks blood flow through the carotid arteries (the major arteries that lead to the brain).
Angiogram of your head and neck.
You may have an echocardiogram to check for blood clots in your heart and/or an electrocardiogram (EKG) to check for arrhythmias if your doctor thinks that heart problems may be the cause of the TIA.
What is the treatment for TIA?
If you have a TIA, you may need to take medicine to reduce your chances of developing more blood clots and having a stroke.
If you have narrowed carotid arteries, you may need a surgery called a carotid endarterectomy to reopen them. This surgery helps prevent blood clots that block blood flow to the brain.
A relatively new procedure called carotid artery stenting is another option for some people who are at high risk of stroke. This procedure is much like coronary angioplasty, which is commonly used to open blocked arteries in the heart. During this procedure, a vascular surgeon inserts a metal tube called a stent inside your carotid artery to increase blood flow in areas blocked by plaque. The surgeon may use a stent that is coated with medicine to help prevent future blockage.
What increases my risk of a TIA?
High blood pressure. You can lower your risk of TIA by lowering your blood pressure.
High cholesterol. High cholesterol increases your risk of atherosclerosis, which can lead to blood clots. By lowering your cholesterol, you can lower your chance of having a TIA.
Smoking. If you stop smoking, you can lower your risk of having a TIA.
Heart disease. The higher your risk of heart attack, the higher your chance of having a TIA. By lowering your risk of heart attack, you also reduce your chance of having a TIA.
Age. Most TIAs occur after the age of 60.
Family and medical history. If one of your family members has had a stroke or TIA or you have had a previous TIA, you are more likely to have a stroke or TIA.
Some diseases, such as diabetes and sickle cell disease, can increase your risk of having a TIA.
Prevention
You can help prevent a transient ischemic attack (TIA) by controlling your risk factors for stroke.
Because atrial fibrillation increases your risk of stroke and because many people do not have symptoms of atrial fibrillation, the National Stroke Association recommends that everyone, particularly those age 55 or older, check his or her heartbeat once a month. To learn how to check your pulse, see taking your pulse. If you notice that your heartbeat does not have a regular rhythm, talk to your doctor.
If you have atrial fibrillation, use this tool to check your risk of stroke: Interactive Tool: Stroke risk from atrial fibrillation.
You can help prevent a transient ischemic attack (TIA) by controlling your risk factors for stroke.
- Have regular medical checkups. Work with your doctor to control high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease (especially atrial fibrillation), diabetes, and disorders that affect blood vessels and how your blood clots, such as polycythemia and sickle cell anemia.
- Quit smoking. Daily cigarette smoking can increase the risk of stroke by 2½ times. 8 Regular exposure to secondhand smoke also increases your risk of stroke. 1
- Check with your doctor about whether you should take an aspirin each day and medicine to lower your cholesterol, if you have been told that you have hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). It has been shown that for people who have had a stroke, a TIA, or an endarterectomy, taking aspirin or other antiplatelet medicines, such as aspirin with extended-release dipyridamole, daily may help prevent another stroke.
- Ask your doctor about taking cholesterol-lowering medicines called statins if you have high cholesterol or have had a heart attack. 9
- If you have had a prior TIA, taking blood pressure–lowering medicines may help prevent another TIA or stroke. 10
- Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight increases your risk for high blood pressure, heart problems, and diabetes, which are risk factors for TIA and stroke.
- Eat a well-balanced diet that is low in cholesterol, saturated fats, and salt. Fatty foods may make hardening of the arteries worse. Eat more fruits and vegetables to increase potassium and vitamins B, C, E, and riboflavin.
- Get regular exercise, and reduce your stress
- Keep alcohol consumption low to moderate (from 1 drink per week to less than 2 drinks per day), which may decrease the risk of stroke caused by a blockage (ischemic stroke). 7 Excessive use of alcohol increases the risk of stroke.
- Avoid taking birth control pills (oral contraceptives) if you have other risk factors for TIA or stroke, such as smoking, high cholesterol, or a history of blood clots. Talk to your doctor about other forms of birth control that do not increase your risk of TIA and stroke.
Because atrial fibrillation increases your risk of stroke and because many people do not have symptoms of atrial fibrillation, the National Stroke Association recommends that everyone, particularly those age 55 or older, check his or her heartbeat once a month. To learn how to check your pulse, see taking your pulse. If you notice that your heartbeat does not have a regular rhythm, talk to your doctor.
If you have atrial fibrillation, use this tool to check your risk of stroke: Interactive Tool: Stroke risk from atrial fibrillation.
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