What is a Mini Stroke?

A mini stroke, also called a Transient Ischemic Attack or (TIA), happens when, for a short time, a brain does not get adequate supply of blood. The human brain requires blood to be constantly delivered to every neuron. This blood is filled with oxygen and nutrient that promote an overall healthy brain.  Blood travels through the body across many blood vessels and reaches every single part of the brain. If a brain does not get adequate oxygen an nutrient, it stop working. This is exactly what happens when a mini stroke occurs.

A mini stroke is a brief period in which there is not enough blood flow to the brain. It is important that nearly twenty percent of people who experience a mini stroke will likely progress to a major stroke sometime within the next three months. The problem is that most people do not understand the signs of a mini stroke and therefore never visit their doctor when they suffer one. Understanding the symptoms a mini stroke can help us to be better prepared should this happen to us.

Signs a mini stroke are often warning signs of a future stroke. The risk of a stroke increases dramatically in the days after a mini stroke attack (TIA), and the TIA may offer an opportunity to find a cause or minimize the risk to prevent the permanent neurologic damage that results because of a stroke.

Most patients who suffer a mini stroke will go on to suffer a major stroke within approximately three months has given doctors much more urgency when dealing with a mini strokes. Most mini stroke patients will be required to remain in the hospital for observation and testing for one to two days. Since early detection will allow for more successful prevention of a major stroke, many tests may be conducted to determine the cause of the mini stroke and medications are typically prescribed to attempt to thwart a major stroke before it happens.