So many times, we hear clients and family members say “it was just a mini-stroke – everything is ok now” in reference to the level of care a client needs after a transient ischemic attack, otherwise called a “T-I-A.” Sometimes the mini-stroke goes unnoticed or brings a false sense of relief because it resolves so quickly.

But Dr. Brian Mandell, Editor-in-Chief of the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, says it shouldn’t be called a ‘mini’-stroke, but instead a call to action.

In the September 2013 journal issue, he refers to advances in medical imaging that allow doctors to better see the injury to the brain after a TIA.  This opens the door for earlier treatment and possible reversal of the damage. It is also a means to predict another, possibly more damaging neurologic event.

Dr. Mandell says older adults, especially those with diabetes, atrial fibrillation, peripheral vascular disease, and hypertension need to recognize a TIA as a major warning sign and not a ‘mini’ stroke.

From our perspective at Hanson Services, any sudden episode of weakness, loss of vision or sensation, no matter how quickly it passes, means our client needs immediate medical attention. It is one of the many benefits of one-to-one care that ensures a neurologic event doesn’t go unnoticed and if possible doesn’t happen a second time.