A transient ischemic attack, often called a mini-stroke, hits with the same sudden signs as a full stroke and then clears on its own. That is precisely why so many people dismiss it as tiredness or stress.
But about one-third of people who have a TIA will go on to have an acute stroke, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and the highest risk falls in the first 48 hours after the event.
Up to 20 percent of TIA patients have a stroke within 90 days, and about half of those strokes happen in the first two days, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Why "it went away" is not reassuring
TIA symptoms usually resolve within an hour, and often within minutes. But the underlying cause of that brief blockage does not resolve with them.
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A TIA has the same mechanism as an ischemic stroke, a clot briefly cutting off blood flow to part of the brain, most often from an atherosclerotic plaque in a narrowed artery.
The 7 signs to know
The American Stroke Association's BE FAST framework covers the sudden warning signs. Any one of them, even if it lasts only minutes, may indicate a TIA or a stroke in progress.
- Balance loss. Sudden trouble walking, dizziness or loss of coordination.
- Eye changes. Sudden vision loss or trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
- Face drooping. One side of the face droops or feels numb, and a smile may look uneven.
- Arm weakness. One arm feels weak or numb, or drifts downward when raised.
- Speech difficulty. Slurred speech, garbled words or trouble understanding what is being said.
- Sudden leg weakness or numbness, typically on one side of the body, listed by NINDS among the core TIA symptoms.
- Sudden severe headache with no known cause, sometimes with confusion or nausea, both included among TIA symptoms by Cleveland Clinic.
When symptoms clear, still call 911
Because there is no way in the moment to tell a TIA from a stroke that is just beginning, the American Stroke Association is explicit: if someone shows any of these signs, even if the symptoms have already gone away, calling 911 right away can help get lifesaving care started.
At least 240,000 Americans have a TIA every year, Yale Medicine reports, citing figures from an American Heart Association and American Stroke Association statement. Anyone with symptoms or a personal history of TIA should talk to a doctor about their stroke risk and treatment.
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Call 911 for any BE FAST sign, even a brief one, and do not drive yourself.
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This article is made and published by Jesper Bengtson, who may have used AI in the preparation.