• Home

Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)

Toggle: English / Spanish

Transient ischemic attack

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

Mini stroke; TIA; Little stroke

Symptoms:

Symptoms of TIA are the same as those that occur in stroke and include the sudden development of:

• Numbness , tingling , changes in sensation
• Weakness , heavy feeling of extremities
• Speech difficulty (garbled speech; slurred speech )
• Vision changes
  • Loss of vision in one eye
  • Decreased vision
  • Double vision
• Sensation that the person or the room is moving ( vertigo )
• Loss of balance
• Lack of coordination
• Gait changes , staggering
• Falling (caused by weakness in the legs)

Additional symptoms:

• Facial paralysis
• Eye pain
• Confusion

Note: Symptoms begin suddenly, last only a short time (from a few minutes to 24 hours), and disappear completely. Symptoms may occur again at a later time. Symptoms usually occur on the same side of the body if more than one body part is involved.

Signs and tests:

Because symptoms and signs may have completely disappeared by the time one gets to the hospital, A diagnosis of a TIA may be made on a person's medical history alone.

A physical examination should include a neurological exam, which may be abnormal during an episode but normal after the episode has passed.

Blood pressure may be high. The doctor will use a stethoscope to listen to your heart and arteries. An abnormal sound called a bruit may be heard when listening to the carotid artery in the neck or other artery. A bruit is caused by irregular blood flow.

Tests will be done to rule out a stroke or other disorder that may cause the symptoms. Tests to diagnose a TIA may include:

• CBC and PT tests to rule out a blood disorder
• Head CT scan or cranial MRI
• Carotid duplex ( ultrasound )
• Echocardiogram
• Cerebral arteriogram

Additional tests and procedures may include:

• Blood glucose
• Blood chemistry
• Serum lipids
• ESR (Sedimentation rate)
• Tests for syphilis
• ECG
• Chest x-ray

Your doctor may use these tests to check for hypertension , heart disease , diabetes , high blood lipids , vasculitis, and peripheral vascular disease .

References:

Mosca L, Banka CL, Benjamin EJ, et al. Evidence-Based Guidelines for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Women: 2007 Update. Circulation . 2007; Published online before print February 19, 2007.

• Review Date: 2/20/2007
• Reviewed By: Updated by: A.D.A.M. Editorial Team: Greg Juhn, M.T.P.W., David R. Eltz, Kelli A. Stacy. Previously reviewed by Daniel Kantor, M.D., Director of the Comprehensive MS Center, Neuroscience Institute, University of Florida Health Science Center, Jacksonville, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.(2006)

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process . A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2007 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.