Transient ischaemic stroke

Both events involve a problem with blood supply to the brain. In a transient ischaemic event, circulation returns before lasting injury is established, so symptoms may resolve. In a stroke, blocked or bleeding vessels injure brain tissue, and symptoms can continue. At the beginning, it is not safe to tell which event is occurring from symptoms alone.

A transient ischaemic attack is therefore a warning event, not a harmless episode. It can point to an underlying source such as atrial fibrillation, narrowed arteries, hypertension, or type 2 diabetes. The symptoms themselves can overlap, including one-sided weakness, speech difficulty, visual change, or sudden numbness.

If symptoms are happening now, call emergency services and note the exact time they started. If they have stopped, seek urgent assessment rather than waiting for a routine appointment. Clinicians may assess the brain, blood vessels, heart rhythm, blood pressure, and relevant blood tests. Follow-up may include treatment for blood pressure or another identified risk factor. Take prescribed medicines as directed and do not borrow or stop medication.

Treat sudden facial drooping, arm or leg weakness, speech or understanding difficulty, visual loss, severe imbalance, or a sudden severe headache as an emergency. Call for help even when the signs improve. A person with possible stroke should not drive, eat or drink if swallowing is unsafe, or be left alone while waiting.

Ask whether the episode was more consistent with a transient event or stroke, what investigations are still needed, and which factors can be changed. Discuss heart rhythm checks, blood-pressure medication, and the timing of follow-up after your GP consultation.