Transient ischemic attack (TIA)

For a lay person:

A transient ischaemic attack, or mini-stroke, is a short episode of stroke symptoms caused by a temporary blockage of blood flow to part of the brain. Symptoms such as face drooping, arm weakness or speech problems usually last minutes and resolve completely. It is a warning sign of a high risk of a full stroke, especially in the following days.

For a trained medical person:

Transient focal neurological dysfunction from cerebral, spinal or retinal ischaemia without infarction, most often due to atherothromboembolism, cardioembolism (for example atrial fibrillation) or small-vessel disease. Assessment is urgent, with brain imaging (MRI with diffusion-weighted imaging preferred), carotid imaging, ECG and vascular risk evaluation in a specialist TIA clinic. Treatment is prompt antiplatelet therapy (anticoagulation for cardioembolic causes), statin, blood-pressure control and carotid endarterectomy for significant symptomatic stenosis.

In Chinese medicine:

Liu and Tseng's textbook differentiates this condition into these patterns: Empty Channels and Collaterals, Attacked by Wind; Yin Deficiency and Yang Hyperactivity; Knotted Phlegm and Stasis; Qi Deficiency and Blood Stasis; Blood Deficiency Generating Wind. Treatment follows the pattern a patient presents with, not the Western diagnosis alone.

When to get help: Call emergency services immediately for any stroke symptoms (face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty), even if they go away, since you cannot tell a TIA from a stroke at the time. Many herbs interact with antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs, so check with your doctor before using them.