TIA: transient ischaemic attack
Each year about one person in 200 will have a transient ischaemic attack, usually known medically as a TIA.
‘Transient’ means temporary and ‘ischaemic’ means lacking blood supply (and therefore oxygen and nutrients). TIAs happen when there is a lack of oxygen getting to a part of the brain, usually due to poor blood supply from narrowed arteries.
A TIA may only last a few minutes but can persist for up to 24 hours.
A number of things may happen during an attack. There can be sudden weakness on one side of the body, difficulty with speech, or the very frightening condition of amaurosis fugax — temporary loss of sight in one eye. This usually only lasts 15 minutes or less, and is often described by those affected as if a curtain was being pulled down over their eye.
TIAs can be confused with a number of other medical problems such as migraine, epilepsy, or simple ‘dizzy’ turns that many people suffer from time to time.
While a TIA is not a stroke, it is very similar. The main difference is that the blood flow to the affected portion of brain is only temporarily interrupted, and the affected part of the brain fully recovers, whereas in a stroke some of the damage is permanent.
Some tests may be necessary if a TIA is suspected. These may include a CT scan of the brain and special tests that measure blood flow to the brain through arteries in the neck.
The usual way of treating TIAs is to give drugs that ‘thin’ the blood, making it less likely to clot. Aspirin is commonly used for this and other drugs, known as anticoagulants, may also be needed. Surgery to improve the circulation to the brain is sometimes necessary.
It is critically important that people who smoke and experience transient ischaemic attacks do all they can to stop smoking.
If you have symptoms that suggest that you are getting TIAs, see a doctor immediately. Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent a stroke.
Last Reviewed: 02 May 2009
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