Known as a “warning stroke,” a transient ischemic attack (TIA) often comes and goes so quickly that the affected person may not even be aware they’ve had one. Yet medical experts stress it is vitally important for a person who has suffered a TIA to get immediate medical attention, because a TIA is a sign that the person is more likely to subsequently suffer a full stroke.
More than one-third of the people who have had one or more transient ischemic attacks will have a stroke in the future, according to data published by the American Heart Association. A significant percentage of these people may experience a stroke in the short term, making the need for medical treatment even more imperative.
“The data suggests that about 10 percent of people who have had a TIA will have a stroke within three months. Five percent will have the stroke within forty-eight hours,” says Dr. Kyra Becker, co-director of the University of Washington Stroke Center and associate professor of neurology and neurological surgery at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Those percentage figures alone should motivate a quick trip to the doctor or emergency room, Becker says.
This article continues at Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)