WHAT is a ministroke? And what can you do to prevent a full stroke happening?
A “ministroke” or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) is a warning sign that a stroke may occur in the future. It can appear like a stroke with numbness, tingling, or loss of function of usually one side of the body as well as loss of speech, ability to swallow or a loss of brain function.
These symptoms usually self-resolve within 24-48 hours without any treatment. If they do not resolve, then a stroke is likely to have occurred rather than a TIA.
The causes include a bleed on the brain from either a head injury, a burst aneurysm, or from conditions which cause blood clots such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking or a genetic clotting disorder.
It is important not to ignore these symptoms as they are pre-empting a full stroke in the future and need to be addressed.
Prevention of a full stroke would depend on the cause of the TIA but generally involve controlling risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, ceasing smoking, or by taking a blood thinning agent prescribed by your doctor.