What is a transient ischemic attack?
Cerebral infarction, or stroke, is a severe disruption of blood flow to the brain.
A stroke develops when the blood supply to a part of the brain is cut off, disrupted or reduced.
Due to the pathological condition, the brain tissue can no longer receive oxygen and vital nutrients. Brain cells begin to die within minutes - during a stroke, every second counts to save the patient!
Mini stroke
Transient ischemic attack is often referred to as a mini-stroke.
During a transient ischemic attack, stroke-like symptoms appear, although the symptoms only appear for a few minutes and do not cause permanent damage to the body.
It is this temporary effect that confuses the patient with the symptoms, in particular, the person thinks that because he feels better and did not need treatment, everything is fine and his health is not endangered!
In fact, with a mini-stroke, the body sounds the alarm and warns that you are at risk, i.e. one of the most incurable pathologies in the medical field is expected - a stroke. This fact is confirmed by statistics.
About 1 in 3 people who has a transient ischemic attack will eventually have a stroke, with about half occurring within a year after the transient ischemic attack.
A transient ischemic attack can serve as both a warning of a future stroke and an opportunity to prevent it.
Symptoms
Transient ischemic attacks usually last a few minutes. Most signs and symptoms disappear within an hour, though rarely symptoms may last up to 24 hours.
The signs and symptoms of a TIA resemble those found early in a stroke and may include sudden onset of:
- Weakness, numbness or paralysis in your face, arm or leg, typically on one side of your body
- Slurred or garbled speech or difficulty understanding others
- Blindness in one or both eyes or double vision
- Vertigo or loss of balance or coordination
When to see a doctor
Since TIAs most often occur hours or days before a stroke, seeking medical attention emergently following a possible TIA is essential.
Seek immediate medical attention if you suspect you've had a transient ischemic attack. Prompt evaluation and identification of potentially treatable conditions may help you prevent a stroke.
Keep in mind that with timely diagnosis and the provided preventive methods it is possible to avoid incurable pathology.
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