A TIA is a medical emergency and you should always seek immediate help. It is important that your medical team distinguishes between a TIA and stroke, so they can decide on the right treatment for you. Medical history of specific symptoms and neurological examination provide the most important information required to diagnose a TIA.
The cause of a TIA is determined using a number of tests including: physical examination, including blood pressure measurement blood tests electrocardiogram (ECG) tests to check for abnormal heart rhythms chest x-ray computed tomography (CT) scan of the head ultrasound scan of the carotid arteries heart ultrasound (echocardiogram) to check for heart disease. Each year, approximately 600,000 to 750,000 strokes occur in the United States Surgery If you have a moderately or severely narrowed neck (carotid) artery, your doctor may suggest carotid endarterectomy (end-ahr-tur-EK-tuh-me). This preventive surgery clears carotid arteries of fatty deposits (atherosclerotic plaques) before another TIA or stroke can occur. An incision is made to open the artery, the plaques are removed, and the artery is closed. NINDS is the leading supporter of research on stroke and TIA in the U.S. and sponsors studies ranging from clinical trials to investigations of basic biological mechanisms as well as studies with animals. Each year, approximately 205,446 strokes occur in the Switzerland.