Understanding A Mini Stroke

As people age the chance of having a mini stroke increases and becomes more significant. A mini stroke is also called a trans ischemic attack or TIA in the medical community. These attacks are a problem where a person has an interruption in the blood flow or oxygenation of the brain. The small attack is not severe enough to produce a large lasting affect on their own but is an indication of problems in the body and the threat of future attacks or a stroke.

Many times a mini stroke is not even thought of as a serious event to the person affected and a doctor is not notified. A person may have a few minutes, an hour or two or even a day where they have some problem like a headache, weakness, trouble speaking or seeing, a loss of memory or difficulty walking. The person may decide to wait a little bit to see if the problem resolves and when it does they decide they are okay and do not tell their doctor. If any of these symptoms occur it is very important for a person to consult their physician and to be checked for the cause including the possibility of a mini stroke.

Treatments For Mini Strokes

A person can not treat a mini stroke on their own. Some people suggest taking an aspirin to help in the attack. This may be helpful but will not be an overall treatment. In fact there are some cases where taking an aspirin will only make things worse. A person who suffers a mini stroke needs to see a physician and get true medical treatment.

There are different medical treatments for mini strokes depending on the specific type of problem that is occurring. If a person has a blockage or small clots in the brain a physician will prescribe some type of treatment to thin the blood. This is actually the principal behind taking an aspirin. Some medications that thin the blood are heparin, coumadin and aspirin. These medications work at different levels and the doctor will decide what is best for the specific set of circumstances. Sometimes a person will be put on heparin for a short amount of time and then switched to another form of blood thinner.

Other treatments for mini stroke will focus on the underlying condition or conditions that led to the attack. There are many conditions that can lead to mini stroke or stroke and the physician will want to run several tests to determine the exact cause. When the treatments conclude and actual diagnosis is made the person will most likely have to make several changes in their lifestyle. The doctor will probably have medications to prescribe and will want the patient to make dietary changes, increase physical activity and find ways to reduce stress.