Let’s Talk About
What is a TIA?
Stroke is the No. 3 cause of death and is the leading cause of serious, long-term disability in America. It occurs when a blood vessel bringing blood and oxygen to the brain gets blocked or ruptures and brain cells don’t get the flow of blood that they need. Deprived of oxygen, nerve cells can’t function and die within minutes. And when nerve cells don’t function, the part of the body they control can’t function either. The devastating effects of stroke are often permanent, as dead brain cells can’t be replaced.
What is a TIA?
TIA, or transient ischemic (TRAN-see-ynt is- KE-mik) attack, is a “mini stroke” that occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery for a short time. The symptoms of a TIA are the same as those of a stroke, but they usually last only a few minutes. About 15 percent of strokes are preceded by TIAs, so don’t ignore a TIA. Call 9-1-1 immediately!
The good news about stroke is that it’s largely preventable. Research has shown that you can reduce your stroke risk by living a healthy lifestyle — controlling high blood pressure; not smoking; eating a lowfat, low-cholesterol diet; being physically active; maintaining a healthy body weight; managing diabetes; drinking moderately or not at all, etc. The other good news is that more than 5.8 million people who have had strokes are alive today! And much is being done to fight strokes. For example, the FDA’s approval of the clot-dissolving drug tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) to treat stroke is an advance because tPA can stop a stroke in progress and reduce disability. But to be eligible for tPA, you must seek emergency treatment right away and have a clot-caused stroke.
Let’s Talk About Stroke, TIA and Warning Signs
Do you have questions for your doctor or nurse? Take a few minutes to write your own questions for the next time you see your healthcare provider: Which facility close to me is best equipped to treat me if I am having stroke symptoms?
How can I reduce my risk for stroke?
- Sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- Sudden, severe headache with no known cause
Learn to recognize a stroke.
Because time lost is brain lost. Today there are treatments that may reduce the risk of damage from the most common type of stroke, but only if you get help quickly — within three hours of your first symptoms.
Call 9-1-1 immediately if you experience these warning signs!
Let’s Talk About Stroke fact sheets:
• For more information about stroke, or to get more fact sheets, call the American
Stroke Association at 1-888-4-STROKE StrokeAssociation.org.
• Speak with other stroke survivors andcaregivers trained to answer your questions.
• Get information on stroke support groups in your area.
• Sign up to get Stroke Connection, a free magazine for stroke survivors and caregivers.