Meditation, March 2023

Know the Warning Signs
of TIA (mini-stroke)
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Terry L. 

A mini-stroke?  At age 46? 

My friend Brandy just had one.  Did you know this is a warning sign about a serious medical condition and, if ignored, could lead to a full and debilitating stroke?  She was going to ignore the signs…

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Brandy was getting her hair cut at the salon.  She was telling the stylist about a recent funny incident involving her husband.  As she told the story she happened to look up into the mirror and was shocked to see her mouth was not moving – even though, in her mind, she was speaking.  Snowflake-like lights appeared to the side of her left eye, and her right hand curled into a claw. Her stylist was asking Brandy if she was OK, if she needed help, but to Brandy the stylist sounded like she was mumbling nonsense.

Brandy recalls now that “there was pressure, like in my eardrums, but no pain.”   The whole thing lasted a few minutes — maybe four to five, she recalls. So Brandy finished up her hair appointment, met her family for dinner at a nearby restaurant without anymore symptoms, then went home and filled her husband in on the strange events of the afternoon.

Her husband insisted she make an appointment the next day to see her doctor, she said, “I was feeling fine at that point and didn’t think it necessary.”

The following afternoon, Brandy was in the emergency room with shortness of breath and getting checked out.  Her blood pressure sky high, it was there she learned she likely had a transient ischemic attack, or TIA, which happens when blood flow to the brain is temporarily blocked. 

Brandy was sent home with new blood pressure medicine and a plan to take it easy for a few days.  She admits that when her TIA was happening, “there was a soft little part” of her that thought it could be stroke related. But with so much on her agenda that day, she says, “there wasn’t a lot of space or time for the quiet warning signs to percolate.”

It’s not uncommon for symptoms such as the ones Brandy experienced to be brushed aside, said the doctor.  A big reason: When it comes to a TIA, there’s no pain involved. “Here, it’s more like a loss of ability to do something.” And that loss of ability quickly resolves, often within a few minutes.

A short-lived weakness or numbness in the arm?  Sometimes patients just think, Oh, I just slept on it funny. I'll try to shake it off or just kind of work through it and see if it just gets better on its own.

Doctors, however, say it’s important not to overlook TIA symptoms. In fact, they require immediate medical attention. Diagnosing a TIA and understanding its root cause can help prevent a full-blown stroke, which can cause lasting brain damage and long-term disability — even death.

Don’t ignore these symptoms.  According to the recent article in AARP magazine the American Heart Association reports up to 18 percent of people who experience a TIA will have a stroke within three months — and half of those strokes will occur within a few days. About one-third of people who have a TIA go on to have a stroke within a year.

The symptoms of a TIA are the same as those for a stroke, doctors say, only they are temporary and can sometimes resolve as quickly as they come on.

Remember the acronym FAST to recognize the warning signs of both TIA and stroke. The first three letters stand for: Face drooping (typically on one side), Arm weakness or numbness (again, this is usually on one side of the body) and Speech difficulty, where an individual may struggle to string words together, may say something nonsensical or may have thick, slurred speech “where it sounds like the patient’s got marbles in their mouth.”


The final letter stands for Time to call 9-1-1, and the same holds true when it comes to TIA, even if the symptoms stop before you get to the phone.

Another symptom to pay attention to is vision change. The classic type of vision symptoms that suggest a stroke or TIA is a blackout of vision. So if someone notices complete vision loss in just one eye, and it’s described as kind of a nightshade coming down over one eye, if it’s temporary or if it’s lasting, that is an emergency.

In fact, some stroke awareness campaigns use the acronym BE FAST, with the “B” standing for balance and the “E” representing eye/vision changes. Brandy says had she known about BE FAST — she had at least three of the symptoms — she “probably would have gone to the ER sooner.”

It’s imperative that we don’t ignore those symptoms and seek medical attention very quickly. Even though they’re transient and they’re short lived, TIAs are associated with long-term, worse outcomes.

Diagnosis and treatment can help prevent a stroke

According to the recent AARP article on TIAs, doctors can diagnose a TIA with a series of tests in the emergency room, including imaging tests to look for signs of narrowing arteries that lead to the brain, and blood work to rule out other conditions that present with similar symptoms. After a diagnosis is established, cardiac tests may be ordered to assess heart risks that may have caused the TIA, such as atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm that can increase risk for stroke.

The AHA also recommends that physicians assess a patient’s risk of stroke after a TIA, taking into account their age and other stroke-related risk factors, such as diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Those at high risk may be hospitalized. Patients at lower risk may be prescribed medications, like statins or blood thinners, or referred for surgery to open up a narrowed artery.

And because behaviors like smoking, poor nutrition, and physical inactivity can increase the likelihood of TIA or stroke, many TIA patients are counseled on risk reduction.

Research suggests that up to 80 percent of strokes after a TIA may be preventable when risk factors are managed.  So continue to eat healthy and exercise!
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Terry’s “Good Living” Guide:

Body:
Avoid the 3 PsBsSs
Processed Foods, Phthalates, Plastics;
Beef, Butter, Breads;
Sedentary activities, Sugars, Salt.
Trust me,
you’ll be feeling better in no time!

Mind & Spirit:
Avoid the 3 F’s
Manufactured in these mediums are
misinformation, fear, anger and hate!

JOIN ME IN ENSURING AN EDUCATED CITIZENRY!

JOIN ME IN ENSURING AN EDUCATED CITIZENRY!

Join me in ensuring an educated citizenry!
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