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Conditions We Treat
What Is a 'Mini-stroke'?There’s nothing small about the dangers of these brief brain attacksIf you think a few minutes of sudden numbness in one arm or leg is nothing to worry about, talk to your doctor. It may be a transient ischemic attack (TIA), often called a “mini-stroke,” and you need to know the symptoms and risks, says neurologist John Castaldo, M.D., director of the Stroke Center at Lehigh Valley Hospital.A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted due to a blocked or burst blood vessel. Without a supply of oxygen and nutrients, you’ll feel sudden numbness or weakness on one side of the body, a severe headache or trouble speaking, seeing and walking. Some stroke victims are paralyzed permanently on one side. Others are left with only a slight speech impairment. A TIA has the same types of symptoms as a full-blown stroke, but lasts less than 24 hours—in most cases, less than 10 minutes. “As a result, about 60 percent of the 500,000 people who have a TIA each year never report it to their doctor,” Castaldo says. “They should, because having a TIA puts you at the highest possible risk for having a full stroke, particularly in the first few days afterward.” If you have any stroke symptoms, call 911 or get to a hospital immediately so you can be properly diagnosed and treated, says internist and geriatrician Charles Gordon, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “You also should be evaluated if you wake up in the morning with difficulty moving your arm or leg,” he says. “A TIA or stroke can happen while you’re sleeping.” “If you’ve had a TIA, you need to have your risk factors evaluated,” Gordon says. “We can lower your risk for a stroke by managing risk factors like smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. But it all starts with prompt evaluation.”
Want to Know More about recognizing a stroke? For a refrigerator magnet listing the symptoms call 610-402-CARE. This page last updated 4/23/08 04:21 PM
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