Here's something you probably won't hear in the emergency room: A transient ischemic attack (TIA, or mini-stroke) can have symptoms that last for months or years afterward. Many healthcare providers think these symptoms are rare or at least short term, but a 2013 survey from the UK Stroke Association showed otherwise.
Transient ischemic attacks usually last a few minutes. Most signs and symptoms disappear within an hour, though rarely symptoms may last up to 24 hours.
Symptoms may last less than an hour, but they can also remain for a lifetime. 3 Even if the physical damage left by a stroke doesn't resolve with treatment, sometimes the brain can "rewire" itself to find new pathways for information to travel in order to regain function.
If you've had an ischemic stroke, it's likely that it won't show up on a CT scan of your brain for 24 to 48 hours.
The length of TIAs differs for individuals but symptoms do not last more than 24 hours. 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).
Blood tests for stroke. There is no blood test that can diagnose a stroke. However, in the hospital, your doctor or nurse may do a series of blood tests to learn the cause of your stroke symptoms: Complete blood count (CBC).
You will likely have a head CT scan or brain MRI. A stroke may show changes on these tests, but TIAs will not.
An MRI scan is most often used. This type of scan uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to create an image of your brain.
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.
“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.
However, mounting evidence suggests that an MRI within 1 to 2 days of a TIA could spot evidence of a stroke that may disappear in time. MRIs can detect tissue damage even when symptoms are temporary. The sophisticated imaging technique can detect stroke lesions that may become less apparent quickly.
Unlike a CT scan, which takes several hours to reveal any blockages of blood flow, an MRI can uncover any brain damage within an hour of the onset of the stroke symptoms.
One of the most common stroke mimics is a seizure, which researchers believe account for as many as 20% of all stroke mimics. Other common stroke mimics include migraines, syncope, sepsis, brain tumor and metabolic derangement (low sodium or low blood sugar).
If the person researches what causes mini-strokes, they will discover that 90 percent are caused by plaque-filled blood vessels blocking the blood flow to the brain or by a blood clot that travels from other parts of your body — like the heart — to the brain. The above mentioned can be caused by: Smoking.
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.
However, some people were left with some residual (on-going) symptoms that lasted a few weeks, and some people continued to experience some symptoms for a while afterwards. Commonly these included arm and limb weakness or numbness, slurred speech, memory problems, confusion and visual difficulties.
Yes, you can have a stroke and not know it. A stroke's effects can be undetectable if the stroke is small or if the tissue damaged does not serve a critical function. Evidence of the stroke would show on a CT scan or an MRI of the brain, but it might not produce symptoms.
Although the symptoms of a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) resolve in a few minutes or hours without any specific treatment, you'll need treatment to help prevent another TIA or a full stroke from happening in the future. A TIA is a warning sign that you're at increased risk of having a full stroke in the near future.
Some people have strokes without realizing it. They're called silent strokes, and they either have no easy-to-recognize symptoms, or you don't remember them. But they do cause permanent damage in your brain. If you've had more than one silent stroke, you may have thinking and memory problems.
All types of strokes — including TIAs — require immediate medical attention. Because a TIA may eventually lead to a larger stroke, diagnosis and treatment are important.
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 symptoms of a TIA are similar to those of a stroke and include: Numbness or muscle weakness, usually on one side of the body.
Some of the most common stroke mimics are seizures, migraine, fainting and serious infections.
In addition to the classic stroke symptoms associated with the FAST acronym, around 7-65% of people undergoing a stroke will experience some form of a headache. People describe a stroke-related headache as a very severe headache that comes on within seconds or minutes.