What is TIA?
A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a temporary blood clot in the brain. When you have a TIA, your symptoms are similar to those of stroke and last less than a day, yet most last less than five minutes.1 A TIA may make you feel dizzy or confused, but because it is over so quickly, you may not even realize that you had one.
What you may not realize is that a TIA increases the risk for a stroke.1 Having a stroke can be devastating. Almost 70% of stroke survivors will be left with some type of disability. These may include paralysis, vision problems, speech or language problems, or memory loss.2
What causes a TIA?
TIAs are caused by a blood clot that partially blocks normal blood flow to the brain. These blockages usually happen for one the following reasons3:
Stenosis
Reduced blood flow at a narrowing in a major artery to the brain, such as the carotid artery (the main artery in the neck). This is called stenosis.
DON'T IGNORE THE SIGNS
TIA is a serious warning
sign that you may suffer a stroke, which has the potential to leave you partially or completely disabled.
If you think you're having a TIA, call 911 immediately.
See where
TIA symptoms
occur in the body
Use this
interactive map
to learn how TIA
affects the body.
- American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Transient Ischemic Attack, 2008. Found at: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4781.
- National Stroke Association, What is stroke? 2008. Found at: http://www.stroke.org/site/PageServer?pagename=STROKE.
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Brain Basics: Preventing a Stroke. What is a Stroke? Found at: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/stroke/preventing_stroke.htm.
