Those who ignore symptoms of a TIA (transient ischaemic attack) or mini-stroke are running the risk of having a major stroke, the Stroke Association in the UK warns.
TIA causes similar symptoms to a stroke, such as speech problems, but may last only a few minutes.
A survey of TIA patients found more than one in three had dismissed their symptoms as just a "funny turn". About 10,000 strokes could be prevented if TIAs were treated, said the charity.
The greatest risk of having a major stroke was within the first few days after a TIA, said chief executive Jon Barrick.
For many people "it doesn't feel like an emergency because the symptoms are brief or mild", he said."There's nothing small about mini-stroke," he added.
"It's a medical emergency. When the symptoms start, you should call 999 and say you may be having a stroke."
The Stroke Association's survey of 670 people who had had a mini-stroke found:
- 37% had thought it was a "funny turn"
- 22% rang 999
- 47% said the symptoms had not felt like an emergency
- 20% went on to have a major stroke
View more information here
No comments:
Post a Comment