Medically Reviewed by Ravish Kothari, MD

At least 240,000 individuals experience a transient ischemic attack each year in the United States. Transient ischemic attacks are often warning signs that a person is at risk for a more serious and debilitating stroke. McLeod Neurologist Dr. Ravish Kothari explains the symptoms and treatments of this neurological emergency.

Q. TIA stands for “Transient Ischemic Attack.” What is a TIA?

In simple terms, TIA is an episode during which there is a transient or temporary blockage of the blood supply to the brain. The clot usually dissolves on its own without leaving any damage to the brain, and that’s why the symptoms are usually transient or temporary; hence, the name TIA. If you look at the MRI of one of these patients, the tissue damage is not permanent, and that’s the reason why the episodes or the symptoms are transient. It is a warning sign for stroke; it’s serious and should not be ignored.

Q. What causes a TIA to happen?

The transient blockage in the blood supply to the brain can cause the TIA. And that’s usually due to plaque or a clot.

Q. What kind of symptoms would someone experiencing a TIA notice about their health or wellbeing?

So the symptoms of TIA are similar to those of stroke. Patients may experience acute onset of balance difficulty or walking difficulty. They may notice weakness or numbness on the face on one side of the face. Particularly, they can have weakness or numbness in the arm or leg. They can have speech or language difficulty or slurred speech, or it may be difficult for them to find the right words. They can have issues with their vision, like double vision or even blindness in one or both eyes. Sometimes they can also experience headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness or vertigo.

Q. Once you make a TIA diagnosis, what sort of treatments are there available?

So again, it really depends on what the doctors find during their workup once the patient goes to the ER. There are lots of tests that need to be done before we can determine a diagnosis. The diagnosis is mostly made based on the patient’s physical complaints and the physical exam. So once the diagnosis is made, usually the standard treatment is an antiplatelet medication like aspirin or Plavix. Along with that, the doctor can give a patient lipid-lowering medication, such as atorvastatin or any medication from the statin groups. The person may need medication for diabetes and/or blood pressure, if those are risk factors for the TIA. If there is an arrhythmia present or any atrial fibrillation, then the patient may require anticoagulation meds, such as Eliquis, Xarelto or Coumadin. If during the workup, if the physician finds that there is a narrowing in one of the vessels in the neck, they may offer stenting or suggest carotid artery surgery.

Q. What sort of risk factors are there for TIA? 

Lifestyle is a very important thing. An unhealthy diet is one major risk factor. Obesity  and a sedentary lifestyle can certainly increase the risk of stroke or any cardiovascular disease. Other factors are high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. If you have a heart condition, quitting smoking is the most important thing. Stay away from all  recreational drug use, and cut down on the alcohol intake. Everything we do for our healthy lifestyle helps with the prevention of stroke or TIA.

Talk with your primary healthcare provider about how to lower your stroke risk.