The human body is a complex combination of various organs and systems. And often, we receive “calls” from it about an impending disease. Only, alas, we do not always adequately respond to them. The transient ischemic attack is one of these alarming signals.
What is a transient ischemic attack?
It is one of the variants of stroke in which sudden neurological symptoms are observed. But at the same time, the brain infarction itself is not visible on the MRI, as the stroke focus is not visible.
What are the causes of a transient ischemic attack?
They are the exact same as in classic ischemic stroke. There are two main groups of reasons. We are unable to fight one group; this includes reasons such as hereditary factors, old age, and a previous stroke. Also, gender can factor into it, as males are more prone to strokes.
We can work with the other group of reasons: hypertension, diabetes mellitus, violation of fat metabolism, smoking, alcoholism, drug use, insulin resistance (increased concentration of insulin in the blood plasma), insufficient physical activity, certain diseases of the heart and blood vessels, etc.
Is there an average “age” of a transient ischemic attack? Is it a disease of the elderly, or is no one safe from it?
It is believed that this disease is more common in middle and old age, but, unfortunately, young people are not immune to it, and in some cases, they need treatment for TIA.
For example, a transient ischemic attack can provoke several diseases accompanied by excessive blood viscosity, but, at the same time, as they say, a person is in full bloom and leads a healthy lifestyle.
It is thought that a transient ischemic attack is observed more often in middle-aged and elderly people, but young people are also not immune from it.
How does this disease manifest?
Symptoms of a transient ischemic attack are very diverse, and treatment for a TIA also is different. Much depends on which area of the brain is affected. Since it is responsible for all functions in our body, there may be some form of sensitive disorders. A person may feel dizziness, weakness in the whole body or limbs, speech disorders may appear, short-term visual impairment, in particular, double vision, impairment swallowing functions. The convulsive syndrome that first appeared in life is not excluded. This symptomatology occurs quite acutely, and, as a rule, it does not last long – a minute, ten, fifteen. For more than an hour, a transient ischemic attack is extremely rare, so it is difficult to collect objective statistics on this pathology.
People often underestimate the problem, describing what is happening to them like this: “Well, my hand went numb, after five minutes everything became normal again” and “Vision was impaired for some time, then it returned to normal- probably magnetic storms are working.” Therefore, this disease often remains unrecognized but identifying it is fundamentally important. After all, there is a clear “bell”, a signal about the possible approach of a classic protracted stroke.
How is transient ischemic attack diagnosed? Are there any laboratory, instrumental diagnostic methods used for this?
First of all, MRI is used to make a diagnosis. If this is not possible, CT (computed tomography) can be used. But MRI is preferable – it will be able to clarify the situation in more detail. Plus, of course, the doctor examines and carefully questions the patient about the symptomatology, its chronology, and risk factors. Ideally, such a patient should be hospitalized since the situation can develop quite seriously within the first two days after the onset of symptoms of a transient ischemic attack. It often happens like this: a person did everything right, called an ambulance, the doctors arrived – and everything had already passed. But this is not a reason not to be examined or to refuse an MRI examination. Here it is necessary to exclude arterial hypertension and lipid metabolism disorders, some other pathologies that could cause similar symptoms.
What is a TIA treatment?
In principle, the same as a stroke. Treatment for a transient ischemic attack depends on what is identified specifically from the patient’s examination. It is necessary to normalize blood pressure, stabilize heart rate, normalize fat metabolism, and correct blood coagulation indicators. This treatment takes into account all possible risk factors inherent in each patient. In some cases, neurotropic therapy is performed.
How to provide first aid and treatment for TIA?
Independently, without the help of doctors, nothing radical can be done. The most important thing is to ensure contact between the patient and the doctors as soon as possible.
Is it possible to somehow prevent the disease?
If we talk about the prevention of a transient ischemic attack, then we must focus on the risk factors. The healthier a person lives, the less chance of getting sick. If there are any recommendations of doctors regarding other pathologies – for example, atrial fibrillation, high blood pressure numbers, or deviations in blood viscosity, these recommendations, of course, need to be heeded. It is crucial to monitor the cholesterol levels in the patient’s blood, weight, and physical activity. At least once a year, they will need an ultrasound of the heart, vessels of the neck, and laboratory tests performed. In general, nothing prohibitively complicated, but a lot depends on the fulfillment of these conditions.
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