Savvy Living

"How can a person know if they've had a stroke? My 70-year-old husband had a spell a few weeks ago where he suddenly felt dizzy for no apparent reason and had trouble talking and walking because his left side went numb, but it went away after a few minutes and he feels fine now."

It's very possible that your husband may have had a "mini-stroke" also known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA). If he hasn't already done so, he needs to see a doctor immediately.

Each year, more than a quarter-million Americans have a mini-stroke but only about half of them realize what's happening. The symptoms are usually fleeting (lasting only between a few minutes up to an hour or two), causing most people to ignore them or brush them off as no big deal. Anyone who has had a mini-stroke is 10 times more likely to have a full-blown stroke, which can cause long-term paralysis, impaired memory, loss of speech or vision or even death.

A mini-stroke is caused by a temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain, and can be a warning sign that a major stroke may soon be coming. Mini-strokes need to be treated like emergencies.

Who's Vulnerable?

A person is more likely to suffer a TIA or stroke if they are overweight, inactive, have high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol or diabetes. Other factors that boost the risks are age (over 60), smoking, heart disease, atrial fibrillation and having a family history of stroke. Men also have a greater risk for stroke than women. African Americans and Hispanics are at higher risk than those of other races.

Warning Signs

The symptoms of a mini-stroke are the same as those of a full-blown stroke but can be subtle and short-lived, and they don't leave any permanent damage. They include:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg on one side of the body.
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.

Anyone who is having any of these symptoms should call 911 immediately. If you've had any of these symptoms and they went away, tell someone you may have had stroke and ask them to drive you to the emergency room or nearby stroke center as soon as possible.

Take This Quiz

More than one-third of mini-stroke suffers will eventually have a full-blown stroke unless their underlying conditions are treated. If your husband did have a mini-stroke, but did not get medical treatment, this self-assessment quiz (known as the ABCD2 tool) can estimate his risk of having a major stroke in the very near future.

• Age: If over age 60 - 1 point.
• Blood pressure: If his systolic blood pressure (top number) is higher than 140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure (bottom number) is higher than 90 - 1 point.
• Clinical features: If he had weakness on one side of his body during a mini-stroke - 2 points. If he had a speech disturbance without weakness - 1 point.
• Duration of symptoms: If his symptoms lasted for 10 minutes to an hour - 1 point. If they lasted an hour or longer - 2 points.
• Diabetes: If he has diabetes - 1 point.

If his score is 3 or less, his risk of having a major stroke within a month of his TIA is 2%. A score of 4 or 5 indicates about an 8% risk for stroke within 30 days and a 10% risk within 90 days. A score of 6 or 7 estimate a 16% chance of stroke in 30 days and 20% within 90 days.

Savvy Living is written by Jim Miller, a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of "The Savvy Senior" book. The articles are offered as a helpful and informative service to our friends and may not always reflect this organization's official position on some topics. Jim invites you to send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.