A blood clot moving to an artery that supplies the brain from another part of the body, most commonly from the heart, also may cause a TIA .
TIAs typically happen because a blood clot gets lodged in an artery that supplies blood to the brain. Without regular blood flow, your brain is starved for oxygen and can't work like it normally does.
The high incidence of coronary vascular events in patients with ischemic stroke, as well as the profound reduction of coronary artery disease events with statin treatment, have led to stroke and TIA being considered to be a coronary risk equivalent.
An ECG can detect abnormal heart rhythms, which may be a sign of conditions such as where your heart beats irregularly (atrial fibrillation), which can increase your risk of TIAs.
TIA and stroke can happen to people of any body size and shape. But having more body fat raises your risk, and reducing your weight if you need to can make you less likely to have a stroke. Losing weight can reduce high blood pressure and improve diabetes. It can also lower your cholesterol.
Higher levels of stress, hostility and depressive symptoms are associated with significantly increased risk of incident stroke or TIA in middle-aged and older adults.
Diagnosis and Tests
The doctor will do some simple quick checks to test your vision, muscle strength, and ability to think and speak. Diagnostic testing consists of either a computed tomogram (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the brain and carotid arteries to determine the possible cause of the TIA.
Some people might have more than one TIA and it is possible to have several TIAs in a short space of time (for example, several TIAs within a day).
Although a TIA should not have a long-term impact on your daily activities, you must stop driving immediately. If your doctor is happy that you have made a good recovery and there are no lasting effects after 1 month, you can start driving again.
Other heart conditions, such as heart valve defects, irregular heartbeat (including atrial fibrillation), and enlarged heart chambers, can cause blood clots that may break loose and cause a stroke.
TIA has a minimal effect on mortality in patients <50 years but heralds significant reduction in life expectancy in those >65 years.
Unlike a stroke, TIA symptoms do not persist and resolve within 24 hours – and often much faster. A TIA doesn't leave any permanent brain damage or cause lasting neurologic problems.
The underlying cause of a TIA often is a buildup of cholesterol-containing fatty deposits called plaques (atherosclerosis) in an artery or one of its branches that supplies oxygen and nutrients to the brain. Plaques can decrease the blood flow through an artery or lead to the development of a clot.
A TIA has the same symptoms as a stroke, but they are temporary as the clot naturally dissolves or is dislodged from the blockage. While it is sometimes called a mini stroke, a TIA does not usually cause long-term brain damage. A person who has had a TIA is at greater risk of having a stroke or heart attack.
The best way to help prevent a TIA is to eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and not smoke or drink too much alcohol.
The risk of subsequent stroke after a transient ischemic attack is between 2% and 17% within the first 90 days after the initial event.
Always treat a TIA as seriously as you would a stroke. "Even though the symptoms resolve, there might be damage to the brain, so you need to see a neurologist," Dr. Rost advises.
You do not need to be admitted to hospital because of a TIA, but this is often done because of the absence of an alternative. Many TIA clinics now offer a “one-stop” service for which the patient is assessed, investigated (or investigated before the appointment), and given results at the same session.
Symptoms of a TIA come on suddenly. You may feel perfectly fine one minute and then suddenly develop difficulty speaking or moving one side of your body. Sometimes the symptoms will come and go several times in a short period of time.
TIAs are often an early warning sign that a person is at risk of stroke. About 1 in 3 people who has a TIA goes on to experience a subsequent stroke. The risk of stroke is especially high within 48 hours after a TIA .
The signs of a stroke often appear suddenly, but that doesn't mean that you won't have time to act. Some people will experience symptoms such as headache, numbness or tingling several days before they have a serious stroke.
Call 9-1-1 immediately if any of these signs of stroke appear: Numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg; Confusion or trouble speaking or understanding speech; Trouble seeing in one or both eyes; Trouble walking, dizziness, or problems with balance; severe headache with no known cause.
TIA patients usually feel better within a couple days to a couple weeks after the event. But if you're having lingering symptoms, it's hard to say exactly what recovery will look like.
In a previously reported study, 31% of TIA patients showed an acute infarction visualized by MRI including DWI. A strong association was found between neurological symptoms, speech dysfunction and weakness and an evidence of acute infarction by MRI including DWI (Al-Khaled and Eggers, 2013).