TRANSIENT ISCHEMIC ATTACK TIA

TIA is a temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain. It is often called mini stroke. It is a temporary moment of period similar to that of stroke. Since it doesn’t cause permanent damage, it’s often ignored. But this is a big mistake. TIAs may signal a full-blown stroke ahead.
About 1 in 3 people who has TIA will eventually develop a stroke with about half occuring within a year after the development of the TIA. TIA is both a warning for stroke and an opportunity to prevent it.

SYMPTOMS 
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
• Sudden fall
• Numbness or paralysis in your face, arm or leg, typically on one side of your body
• Slurred or garbled speech
• Difficulty understanding others
• Blindness in one or both eyes or double vision
• Vertigo or loss of balance or coordination

You may have more than one TIA, and the recurrent signs and symptoms may be similar or different depending on which area of the brain is involved.

RISK FACTORS 

• Family history. Your risk may be greater if one of your family members has had a TIA or a stroke.
• Age. Your risk increases as you get older, especially after age 55.
• Sex. Men have a slightly higher risk of a TIA and a stroke. But as women age, their risk of a stroke goes up.
• Prior transient ischemic attack. If you've had one or more TIAs, you're much more likely to have a stroke.
• Sickle cell disease. Stroke is a frequent complication of sickle cell disease. Sickle-shaped blood cells carry less oxygen and also tend to get stuck in artery walls, hampering blood flow to the brain. However, with proper treatment of sickle cell disease, you can lower your risk of a stroke.
• High blood pressure. The risk of a stroke begins to increase at blood pressure readings higher than 140/90 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).
• High cholesterol. Eating less cholesterol and fat, especially saturated fat and trans fat, may reduce the plaques in your arteries. If you can't control your cholesterol through dietary changes alone, your doctor may prescribe a statin or another type of cholesterol-lowering medication.
• Cardiovascular disease. This includes heart failure, a heart defect, a heart infection or an abnormal heart rhythm.
• Carotid artery disease. The blood vessels in your neck that lead to your brain become clogged.
• Peripheral artery disease (PAD). The blood vessels that carry blood to your arms and legs become clogged.
• Diabetes. Diabetes increases the severity of atherosclerosis — narrowing of the arteries due to accumulation of fatty deposits — and the speed with which it develops.
• High levels of homocysteine. Elevated levels of this amino acid in your blood can cause your arteries to thicken and scar, which makes them more susceptible to clots.
• Excess weight. Obesity, especially carrying extra weight in the abdominal area, increases stroke risk in both men and women.
• Cigarette smoking. Smoking increases your risk of blood clots, raises your blood pressure and contributes to the development of cholesterol-containing fatty deposits in your arteries (atherosclerosis).
• Physical inactivity. Engaging in 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days helps reduce risk.
• Poor nutrition. Reducing your intake of fat and salt decreases your risk of a TIA and a stroke.
• Heavy drinking. limit yourself to no more than two drinks daily if you're a man and one drink daily if you're a woman.
• Use of illicit drugs. Avoid cocaine and other illicit drugs.

WHEN TO SEE A DOCTOR

TIAs most often occur hours or days before a stroke. 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.