Headache and dizziness disappearing 'mini stroke', dangerous if left unattended
Aug 08, 2024
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Stroke has pre-existing symptoms. Headache, dizziness, double vision, aphasia, etc., and if these symptoms disappear within 24 hours and return to normal, it is diagnosed as 'mini stroke'. Although it can be considered insignificant because neurological symptoms occur temporarily and then improve, mini-stroke can lead to more dangerous brain diseases and must be treated.
Transient cerebral ischemia, called mini-stroke, is when blood clots dissolve on their own before blocking blood vessels and the symptoms disappear within minutes or hours (within 24 hours). A common cause is atherosclerosis of cerebrovascular vessels, which narrows or blocks blood vessels in the brain. Factors that cause cerebrovascular stenosis include high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, smoking, and heart disease associated with the occurrence of blood clots.
When mini-stroke occurs, symptoms of severe dizziness or blurred consciousness, and sudden headaches appear. The strength of one limb is weaker than that of the other, and the tongue may become twisted or pronounced dull when speaking. Part of your vision may not be visible and you may experience double vision.
The duration of symptoms varies widely from 10 minutes to more than 1 hour. However, symptoms do not last more than 24 hours, and when symptoms disappear, they become completely normal. Mini-stroke can be diagnosed by brain computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). CT scans make it easy to distinguish whether the blood vessels are clogged or burst. MRI has excellent resolution, which can find small infarction or bleeding that is not visible on CT.
A full recovery within 24 hours of a mini-stroke should not be reassured. If mini-stroke is not managed, it is highly likely to develop into cerebral infarction or stroke. Therefore, even if the symptoms have disappeared, it is necessary to find out the causative disease and provide accurate treatment.
Yoon Seung-jae, head of the neurology department at Ceran Hospital, explained, "The risk of recurrence and exacerbation of transient ischemic attacks called mini-stroke is very high, so immediate treatment and treatment equivalent to stroke are needed." "The proportion of patients with mini-stroke experiences cerebral infarction again within 3 months is about 17-20%, and in the long run, the risk of stroke is about 5 times higher than that of the general population."
Manager Yoon Seung-jae said, "Even though mini-stroke is a prodromal symptom that can lead to cerebral infarction, people often think that the stroke was cured by itself and do not receive proper treatment." "However, if the test shows that even if the symptoms disappear, brain damage is often accompanied, and there is a high risk of stroke in the future, you should visit a hospital immediately if you have had any symptoms of stroke." he advised.
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bellho@sportschosun.com
