Transient Ischemic Attacks and Recurrent Stroke
Transient Ischemic Attacks
A TIA, sometimes called a “mini-stroke”, begins exactly like a stroke but then resolves leaving no noticeable symptoms or deficits. The occurrence of a TIA is a warning that the person is under risk of stroke more severe and debilitating.
Of the approximately 50,000 Americans who have a TIA each year, one third, approximately, will suffer an acute stroke sometime in the future. The addition of other risk factors increases a person’s risk of suffering a recurrent stroke.
The average duration of a transient ischemic attack is a few minutes. In almost all transient ischemic attacks, the symptoms disappear in about an hour. There is no way to tell if the symptoms have only a transient ischemic attack, or if symptoms persist and lead to death or incapacitation. The patient and those around you should assume that all the symptoms of stroke have an emergency box should not wait to see if the symptoms disappear.
Recurrent stroke
Recurrent stroke is common – about 25 percent of people who recover from their first stroke have another within 5 years. Recurrent stroke is an important element contributing to incapacitation and death from stroke. The risk of severe disability or death from stroke increases with each recurrent stroke. The risk of recurrent stroke is greatest immediately after suffering one of these episodes, and decreases over time. Approximately 3 percent of patients who suffer a stroke have another stroke within 30 days of being the first. One third of recurrent strokes occur within the first 2 years of the first accident occur.