What is a transient ischemic attack? Don’t know? I didn’t either until I had one last week. They’re easy to ignore, yet when you have one, you have a high risk of having a stroke within 90 days, if left untreated. They’re commonly called a TIA or a mini stroke, although they’re not really strokes. Here’s more I learned the hard way.
I was visiting my son and his wife in Colorado last week when I was trying to describe how a French drain worked. Suddenly, everyone sounded like Charlie Brown’s teacher, “Wah wa wa wah, wa wa.†I couldn’t find the words. I began charades. “You mean pipe?†I heard someone say.
True to their generation, they began texting each other in front of me. Being medical professionals, they knew the signs of a stroke. And while I was exhibiting only one, they took me to the nearby hospital, just in case.
Once in the emergency room, I was put ahead of others, and all hell broke out. My son heard over the intercom, “Stroke in emergency one.â€
I would later learn it wasn’t a stroke. It was a TIA, or what some call a mini stroke. That’s a temporary blockage of blood to the brain which usually resolves itself in less than five minutes, according to the Cleveland Clinics’ website.
While a TIA doesn’t cause permanent damage, the website calls it a “warning stroke†predicting, as I mentioned, a possible stroke ahead.
Fact is, the symptoms are the same, but TIA symptoms go away within 24 hours (mostly in minutes). However, up to 20% of people who have a TIA have a stroke within 90 days, and half of those happen within two days after a TIA.
So, if it happens to you — and even if symptoms go away — seek medical help.
Anyone of any age can have a TIA. They’re not limited to old folks, as 20% of patients are under 55. After 55, the risk doubles every 10 years. More women die from strokes than breast cancer, and more women than men have them. So, know the signs.
The onset of symptoms is sudden. So, as soon as something seems off, act. And a person doesn’t have to have all the signs to have a TIA.
While the symptoms of a TIA and a stroke are the same, TIA symptoms recede fairly quickly and often don’t leave permanent damage. However, a TIA is a medical emergency just like a stroke. That’s because there’s no way to predict how long it will last, and every minute counts.
So, call 911. Don’t wait to see if the symptoms subside.
If it is a TIA, then changes are needed to avoid a future stroke. So, get help, even if you feel fine. By the way, a TIA isn’t necessarily “mini†or smaller than a stroke, as TIAs can easily affect large brain areas.
There also are two critical differences between strokes and TIAs.
A TIA stops on its own.
A stroke doesn’t.
A stroke needs treatment to stop and reverse the effects. A stroke also leaves behind evidence on a magnetic resonance imaging scan. Unlike a TIA, these changes remain even when symptoms go away.
The most significant risk factors include high blood pressure (most significant for TIA); type 2 diabetes; tobacco use (especially smoking or vaping); atrial fibrillation (Afib, or irregular heart rhythm); and/or a history of stroke or TIAs.
TIAs are common, and there’s no way to tell if it’s a TIA or stroke while it’s happening. Experts estimate that it happens to about 500,000 per year. However, many are unreported, since they’re easy to ignore.
Anyway, I spent two days in the hospital last week. How was your week?
Tom Crouser is a business consultant living in Mink Shoals. Reach him at tom@crouser.com and follow @Tom
Crouser on Twitter. Also connect via Facebook and LinkedIn.
