What is Transient Ischemic Attack
By: Mark MonteiroTotal Views: 64, Word Count: 699,
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) is a kind of stroke which is caused mainly because of the dysfunction due to loss of blood flow. This situation is called as ischemia. There are three types of this disorder: focal brain, spinal cord, or retinal. These symptoms are very much similar to the stroke symptoms like cerebral blood flow (CBF). The symptoms of TIA can be resolved in 24 hours. TIA can lead to a serious brain injury. There are various symptoms of TIA found which varies from person to person, depending upon the area of brain involved in the disorder. The symptoms of TIA do not last longer than 60 minutes, so it is really important to get treatment in time to diagnose it. Some symptoms can disappear within a few minutes. Sometimes, people feel that something is happening with their body, but they cannot figure out what is happening? Most of the patients having TIA disorder are said to have an alert for approaching stroke. If the blood supply to that particular area is blocked for several minutes, the nerve cell of that area of the brain dies. This can cause permanent neurologic deficit.
Causes
The most common cause of TIA is an embolus that stops or closes an artery in the brain. This occurs from a number of major arteries from head and neck or from a blood clot in the heart. In TIA disorder, the blockage period is very short, so there are no permanent effects or damage. The cholesterol build up is regular and narrows the lumen. So the blood from that part of the body is reduced and it results in a stroke. Sometimes, the cholesterol particles from atherosclerotic plaque can suddenly break off and enter the brain. TIA is also related to other medical disorders like hypertensions, heart disease, migraine etc. Some other causes are excessive narrowing of large vessels, which usually gives rise to atherosclerotic plaque and increased blood thickness caused by some blood diseases.
Symptoms
TIAs and stroke have similar symptoms. Here are some of the symptoms of TIA:
- TIA can cause contra-lateral paralysis. This may also cause sudden weakness or numbness throughout the body. Sometimes, patients can feel pain or weakness in one side of the body. There are some cases of temporary and partial paralysis affecting the face and tongue.
- TIA may cause loss in vision. Sometimes, your vision becomes blur or dim.
- Due to paralysis affecting the tongue, there can be problems with speech too. A patient can face problem of slurred speech.
- In some conditions, aphasia can occur. This is an advanced stage of speech problems where patient loses his/her language ability. It is also observed in stroke victims.
- Mental confusion is the situation observed in almost all cases of TIA. Sometimes, this situation leads to impairment of consciousness.
- TIA can also cause a stroke or a silent stroke. So having TIA for long duration without diagnosing can lead to serious complications.
- After stroke of TIA, neurological dysfunction happens which affects areas like mood, personality and cognition ability.
- Dizziness can be occurred due to TIA. It follows poor balance and unconsciousness.
Diagnosis
In most cases, TIA is diagnosed by the medical history of the patient along with physical examination. For diagnosis, there are various radiological exams that are performed in respective laboratories. These tests include CT scan and MRI of the brain, ultrasound of the neck, and an echocardiogram of the heart. Ultrasound treatment is most widely used to detect TIA.
About the Author
Dr. Mark Monteiro is graduated from the Hazard University and done his MBA from the he University Of Illinois College Of Medicine. Currently he is working as general physician at Elmhurst Loyola Center for Health. For over 15 years he has been a pioneer in the field of physician health. He has contributed to the treatment of many diseases like- ASTHMA, TUBERCULOSIS, HIV, HEPATITIS AND ITS TREATMENT.
Advice Rating: Not yet rated
Login to vote