Q. How serious is a TIA? I heard that they’re really nothing to worry about. TIA stands for “transient ischemic attack.” A TIA is an interruption in the flow of blood to a part of your brain. Its symptoms are the same as for a stroke. A TIA lasts anywhere from minutes to many hours. It goes away and leaves no apparent permanent effects.
But it is definitely something to worry about.
When someone suffers from a TIA, their chance of having a stroke increases nine times. The inflicted patient should treat a TIA like an early warning and immediately schedule a check-up with their physician.
A stroke, which is also called a “brain attack,” is caused by a blood problem in the brain. An “ischemic stroke” is caused by too little blood in the brain. A “hemorrhagic stroke” is caused by too much blood. About 80 percent of strokes are ischemic strokes; they occur when blood clots or other particles block arteries to your brain. Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in your brain leaks or ruptures.
During a stroke, brain cells are deprived of oxygen and nutrients and begin to die. The earlier a stroke is treated, the better the results.
Stroke is the third-leading cause of death in the
U.S. behind heart disease and cancer. It’s also the leading cause of adult disability. About 700,000 Americans have a stroke each year and approximately 160,000 of them will die from it.
The most common stroke symptoms include: sudden numbness, weakness or paralysis of the face, arm or leg – usually on one side of the body; trouble talking or understanding; sudden blurred, double or decreased vision; dizziness, loss of balance or coordination; a sudden headache with a stiff neck; facial pain and pain between the eyes; vomiting or altered consciousness; confusion, or problems with memory, spatial orientation or perception.
The following can increase a risk of a stroke: a family history of stroke or TIA, aging, race (African-Americans are at greater risk), high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, cigarette smoking, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, previous stroke or TIA, heavy alcohol drinking and uncontrolled stress.
Physicians have many diagnostic tools for stroke victims. Some of these tests include physical examinations, blood tests, carotid ultrasonography to check the carotid arteries in your neck, arteriography to view arteries in your brain, a computerized tomography (CT) scan of the neck and brain, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, among others.
Treatments are varied and include: therapy with clot-busting and clot-preventative drugs; carotid endarterectomy to remove plaques in the arteries; angioplasty to widen the inside of an artery leading to the brain; and catheter embolectomy to remove clots, aneurysm clipping to clamp off a dilation in an artery to keep it from bursting and aneurysm embolization to seal off a dilation through clotting.
With experience as a freelance writer and publicist for major pharmaceutical companies, such as Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, Merck and Pfizer, Fred Cicetti is now a New Jersey-based columnist writing about a variety of senior health issues. His opinions and views do not necessarily reflect those of Therapy Times or Valley Forge Publishing Group. Questions or comments can be directed to editorial@TherapyTimes.com.
All Rights Reserved © 2006 by Fred Cicetti
