Never ignore symptoms of a TIA. Stroke risk is highest in the hours and days after a TIA, even if your symptoms resolve. Call triple zero (000) and ask for an ambulance, even if your symptoms disappear.
TIA symptoms
A TIA is a medical emergency, the same as a stroke. If you spot the signs of a TIA or stroke, call 999. Don't wait to see if the symptoms pass.
If a TIA is suspected, you should be offered aspirin to take straight away. This helps to prevent a stroke. Even if the symptoms disappear while you're waiting for an ambulance to arrive, you still need to be assessed in hospital. You should be referred to see a specialist within 24 hours of the onset of your symptoms.
Call 911 Immediately
Time is critical if someone is having a stroke. The longer a stroke goes untreated, the more damage can be done — possibly permanently — to the brain. “If you suspect you or someone you're with is having a stroke, don't hesitate to call 911,” Dr. Humbert says.
“Ignoring any stroke sign could be a deadly mistake,” says Mitch Elkind, M.D., chair of the American Stroke Association. The Association recommends calling for emergency help immediately, even if the symptoms go away. Acting fast can improve your chances of accurate diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
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.
The disruption in blood supply results in a lack of oxygen to the brain. This can cause sudden symptoms like those of a stroke. However, a TIA does not last as long as a stroke. The effects only last for a few minutes or hours and fully resolve within 24 hours.
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.
What Happens if a Mini Stroke Goes Untreated? A mini stroke may resolve on its own, but it's difficult to know just how serious the circumstances are without a thorough medical workup. Familiarizing yourself with these symptoms will allow you to act quickly, which is crucial for avoiding permanent brain damage.
Because mild strokes do not typically cause major impairments, recovery is usually fast. Sometimes recovery from a mild stroke can occur within 3-6 months. Other times it can take longer. There are many variables that affect the time it takes to recover.
The American Heart Association guideline on TIA states that “it is reasonable to hospitalize patients with TIA if they present within 72 hours” if the predicted risk of stroke is high or an outpatient work-up cannot be completed within 2 days; however, this statement has a “C” level of evidence.
A Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) is often called a mini-stroke, but it's really a major warning. TIA is a temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain. Because most TIA symptoms last from only a few minutes up to 24 hours, they are often dismissed and not taken seriously.
Streib recommends that all patients visit an emergency room during or immediately after a TIA to receive imaging of their brain and blood vessels. These scans can inform patients and providers of the cause of their TIA and their immediate stroke risk. Scans also help them decide upon a treatment plan.
To treat an ischemic stroke, doctors must quickly restore blood flow to the brain. This may be done with: Emergency IV medication. Therapy with drugs that can break up a clot has to be given within 4.5 hours from when symptoms first started if given intravenously.
Weakness, paralysis, and problems with balance or coordination. Pain, numbness, or burning and tingling sensations. Fatigue, which may continue after you return home. Inattention to one side of the body, also known as neglect; in extreme cases, you may not be aware of your arm or leg.
Mild stroke recovery time
Most people see their symptoms subside within a few minutes to up to 24 hours without medical treatment. However, people who experience a mild stroke should be on high alert for the next 48 hours, as their chances of experiencing a regular stroke are quite high during this period.
The blockage in the blood vessels responsible for most TIAs is usually caused by a blood clot that's formed elsewhere in your body and travelled to the blood vessels supplying the brain. It can also be caused by pieces of fatty material or air bubbles.
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.
Weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg, usually on one side of the body. Trouble speaking or understanding. Problems with vision, such as dimness or loss of vision in one or both eyes. Dizziness or problems with balance or coordination.
A transient ischemic attack (TIA), also called a mini stroke, is a temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain, often indicating that a larger stroke is coming.
Nevertheless, if you suffer a TIA, even if symptoms disappear, you should go immediately to an emergency room or call 911. While a TIA is not a full-blown stroke, it is a warning that a full-blown stroke may be right around the corner. In a nutshell, a TIA needs immediate medical attention.
Once your provider has determined the cause of the TIA , the goal of treatment is to correct the issue and prevent a stroke. Depending on the cause of the TIA , your provider may prescribe medication to reduce the tendency for blood to clot or may recommend surgery or a balloon procedure (angioplasty).
A TIA is a medical emergency. Call 911 or the local emergency number right away. Do not ignore symptoms just because they go away. They may be a warning of a future stroke.