Does anyone know much about mini strokes?

My mom had one recently, her arms went numb and she felt a pressure over the head. The doctor warned her that she could get another one if she wasn't careful.

A stroke is when the blood flow to some part of your brain is interrupted. If the interuption is temporary, you have a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) or mini stroke. This occurs when whatever is cutting off the flow of blood to your brain (say a small piece of an obstruction from further upstream in your blood vessels) breaks loose and blood flow is restored.

On the other hand, if the blockage remains, you get a real stroke.

The important thing to know is that real strokes are often preceeded by a series of "mini-strokes" or TIA's. So If you or someone you know is suffering from mini strokes, they should see their doctor ASAP so that the cause of the mini strokes can be determined (often a partial blockage in the blood vessels of the neck or in your heart) and hopefully treated so that a real stroke can be prevented.

Thankyou for the replies.

My friend had a problem the other day and I was worried it may have been a mini-stroke.

She was walking and started listing to the left quite heavily. She tried to redirect her legs to go the right way and could not. This happened for a little under a minute. Then she had headaches for six days. Now she is experiencing extreme fatigue and memory problems.

She is going for a MRI of her brain. This incident actually happened quite a few weeks ago, though.

Not sure if it was a TIA or not.

Does anyone know much about mini strokes?

What is a stroke?

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain is blocked or bursts . Without blood and the oxygen it carries, part of the brain starts to die. The part of the body controlled by the damaged area of the brain can't work properly.

Brain damage can begin within minutes, so it is important to know the symptoms of stroke and act fast. Quick treatment can help limit damage to the brain and increase the chance of a full recovery.

What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of a stroke happen quickly. A stroke may cause:

Sudden numbness, tingling, weakness, or paralysis in your face, arm, or leg, especially on only one side of your body.
Sudden vision changes.
Sudden trouble speaking.
Sudden confusion or trouble understanding simple statements.
Sudden problems with walking or balance.
A sudden, severe headache that is different from past headaches.
If you have any of these symptoms, call 911 or other emergency services right away.

See your doctor if you have symptoms that seem like a stroke, even if they go away quickly. You may have had a transient ischemic attack (TIA), sometimes called a mini-stroke. A TIA is a warning that a stroke may happen soon. Getting early treatment for a TIA can help prevent a stroke.