﻿ Information about stroke and TIA (transient ischemic attck) at MedicineNet.com

Is It A Stroke or A TIA?

Medical Author: Melissa Stoppler, M.D.
Medical Editor: Barbara K. Hecht, Ph.D.

A ministroke is a term sometimes used to refer to what is medically called a transient ischemic attack or TIA. Ischemic means there is not enough oxygen being delivered to a tissue.

A transient ischemic attack occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted, temporarily limiting the oxygen supply to the brain. A TIA is essentially a brief stroke with symptoms that appear and then disappear on their own, usually within minutes.

The signs and symptoms of a TIA occur suddenly and are the same as those with an acute stroke:

  • Sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body. This loss of voluntary movement or sensation may be complete or partial. There may also be tingling in the affected area.
  • Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
  • Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
  • Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

In contrast to a true stroke, a TIA leaves no permanent neurological damage after the signs and symptoms spontaneously resolve.

TIAs are also sometimes called "warning strokes" since they are warning signs that a person is at risk for a more serious, true stroke. In fact, about a third of people who have TIAs eventually have a serious stroke. About half of these strokes strike within a year of the TIA.