What is the Difference Between a Stroke vs. TIA?
Oftentimes, stroke and TIA (transient ischemic attack) are associated with each other and can be mistakenly taken as the same thing. While there are similarities to the cause behind both, they’re two different things. Below, I’ll break down and compare a stroke vs. a TIA.
How Are Strokes and TIA similar?
People refer to a TIA as a “mini-stroke.” Both strokes and TIAs occur when there’s a dysfunction of blood flow to the brain. Symptoms can disappear from both within days, weeks, or even hours.
What Happens During a TIA?
During a TIA, a blood clot will block the flow of blood in an artery. This clot cuts off the oxygen and nutrients that a neuron needs to survive. However, when a TIA occurs, that clot blocks the flow for seconds or minutes until it quickly gets flushed out of the artery. Instead of killing neurons, the clot will stun them or weaken them for a period of time. When blood flow is restored, neurons get stronger and return to a normal state. With a TIA, there is no sign of damage when you have an MRI.
What Happens During a Stroke?
A stroke is caused by the same type of clot formation that blocks oxygen and nutrients from reaching the brain. However, the clot lasts longer than a TIA, causing more damage. Neurons will die as a result of a stroke and will not be repaired to return to a normal state like with TIA. With a stroke, regardless of whether or not there are symptoms, MRI will always show where the damage in the brain has occurred and where neurons have died.
So, What’s The Difference
A stroke is a clinical diagnosis but also radiographic. You can physically see the changes in the brain that took place as a result of a stroke, but with a TIA there is no evidence in brain imagery because there is no lasting damage.
