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How high does your blood pressure have to be to have a mini stroke?

Health conditions The risk of a stroke begins to increase at blood pressure readings higher than 140/90 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Your health care provider will help you decide on a target blood pressure based on your age, whether you have diabetes and other factors. High cholesterol.

mayoclinic.org - Transient ischemic attack (TIA) - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

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Overview

A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a temporary period of symptoms similar to those of a stroke. A TIA usually lasts only a few minutes and doesn't cause permanent damage. Often called a ministroke, a TIA may be a warning. About 1 in 3 people who has a TIA will eventually have a stroke, with about half occurring within a year after the TIA . A TIA can serve as both a warning of a future stroke and an opportunity to prevent it.

Symptoms

Transient ischemic attacks usually last a few minutes. Most signs and symptoms disappear within an hour, though rarely symptoms may last up to 24 hours. The signs and symptoms of a TIA resemble those found early in a stroke and may include sudden onset of: Weakness, numbness or paralysis in the face, arm or leg, typically on one side of the body

Slurred or garbled speech or difficulty understanding others

Blindness in one or both eyes or double vision

Vertigo or loss of balance or coordination

You may have more than one TIA , and the recurrent signs and symptoms may be similar or different depending on which area of the brain is involved.

When to see a doctor

Since TIA s most often occur hours or days before a stroke, seeking medical attention immediately following a possible TIA is essential. Seek immediate medical attention if you suspect you've had a TIA . Prompt evaluation and identification of potentially treatable conditions may help you prevent a stroke. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form. From Mayo Clinic to your inbox Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health. Email ErrorEmail field is required ErrorInclude a valid email address Learn more about Mayo Clinic’s use of data. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. Subscribe! Thank you for subscribing! You'll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox. Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry

Causes

A TIA has the same origins as that of an ischemic stroke, the most common type of stroke. In an ischemic stroke, a clot blocks the blood supply to part of the brain. In a TIA , unlike a stroke, the blockage is brief, and there is no permanent damage. The underlying cause of a TIA often is a buildup of cholesterol-containing fatty deposits called plaques (atherosclerosis) in an artery or one of its branches that supplies oxygen and nutrients to the brain. Plaques can decrease the blood flow through an artery or lead to the development of a clot. A blood clot moving to an artery that supplies the brain from another part of the body, most commonly from the heart, also may cause a TIA .

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Risk factors

Some risk factors for a TIA and stroke can't be changed. Others you can control.

Risk factors you can't change

You can't change the following risk factors for a TIA and stroke. But knowing you're at risk can motivate you to change your lifestyle to reduce other risks. Family history. Your risk may be greater if one of your family members has had a TIA or a stroke. Your risk may be greater if one of your family members has had a or a stroke. Age. Your risk increases as you get older, especially after age 55. Your risk increases as you get older, especially after age 55. Sex. Men have a slightly higher risk of a TIA and a stroke. But as women age, their risk of a stroke goes up. Men have a slightly higher risk of a and a stroke. But as women age, their risk of a stroke goes up. Prior transient ischemic attack. If you've had one or more TIA s, you're much more likely to have a stroke. If you've had one or more s, you're much more likely to have a stroke. Sickle cell disease. Stroke is a frequent complication of sickle cell disease. Another name for this inherited disorder is sickle cell anemia. Sickle-shaped blood cells carry less oxygen and also tend to get stuck in artery walls, hampering blood flow to the brain. However, with proper treatment of sickle cell disease, you can lower your risk of a stroke.

Risk factors you can control

You can control or treat a number of factors — including certain health conditions and lifestyle choices — that increase your risk of a stroke. Having one or more of these risk factors doesn't mean you'll have a stroke, but your risk increases if you have two or more of them.

Health conditions

High blood pressure. The risk of a stroke begins to increase at blood pressure readings higher than 140/90 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Your health care provider will help you decide on a target blood pressure based on your age, whether you have diabetes and other factors. The risk of a stroke begins to increase at blood pressure readings higher than 140/90 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Your health care provider will help you decide on a target blood pressure based on your age, whether you have diabetes and other factors. High cholesterol. Eating less cholesterol and fat, especially saturated fat and trans fat, may reduce the plaques in your arteries. If you can't control your cholesterol through dietary changes alone, your provider may prescribe a statin or another type of cholesterol-lowering medication. Eating less cholesterol and fat, especially saturated fat and trans fat, may reduce the plaques in your arteries. If you can't control your cholesterol through dietary changes alone, your provider may prescribe a statin or another type of cholesterol-lowering medication. Cardiovascular disease. This includes heart failure, a heart defect, a heart infection or a heart rhythm that isn't typical. This includes heart failure, a heart defect, a heart infection or a heart rhythm that isn't typical. Carotid artery disease. In this condition, the blood vessels in the neck that lead to the brain become clogged.

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In this condition, the blood vessels in the neck that lead to the brain become clogged. Peripheral artery disease (PAD). PAD causes the blood vessels that carry blood to the arms and legs to become clogged. causes the blood vessels that carry blood to the arms and legs to become clogged. Diabetes. Diabetes increases the severity of atherosclerosis — narrowing of the arteries due to accumulation of fatty deposits — and the speed with which it develops. Diabetes increases the severity of atherosclerosis — narrowing of the arteries due to accumulation of fatty deposits — and the speed with which it develops. High levels of homocysteine. Elevated levels of this amino acid in the blood can cause the arteries to thicken and scar, which makes them more susceptible to clots. Elevated levels of this amino acid in the blood can cause the arteries to thicken and scar, which makes them more susceptible to clots. Excess weight. Obesity, especially carrying extra weight in the abdominal area, increases stroke risk in both men and women. Obesity, especially carrying extra weight in the abdominal area, increases stroke risk in both men and women. COVID-19 . There is evidence that SARS-CoV-2 , the virus that causes COVID-19 , may raise the risk of stroke.

Lifestyle choices

Cigarette smoking. Quit smoking to reduce your risk of a TIA and a stroke. Smoking increases your risk of blood clots, raises your blood pressure and contributes to the development of cholesterol-containing fatty deposits in the arteries (atherosclerosis). Quit smoking to reduce your risk of a and a stroke. Smoking increases your risk of blood clots, raises your blood pressure and contributes to the development of cholesterol-containing fatty deposits in the arteries (atherosclerosis). Physical inactivity. Engaging in 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days helps reduce risk. Engaging in 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days helps reduce risk. Poor nutrition. Reducing your intake of fat and salt decreases your risk of a TIA and a stroke. Reducing your intake of fat and salt decreases your risk of a and a stroke. Heavy drinking. If you drink alcohol, limit yourself to no more than two drinks daily if you're a man and one drink daily if you're a woman. If you drink alcohol, limit yourself to no more than two drinks daily if you're a man and one drink daily if you're a woman. Use of illicit drugs. Avoid cocaine and other illicit drugs.

Prevention

Knowing your risk factors and living healthfully are the best things you can do to prevent a TIA . Included in a healthy lifestyle are regular medical checkups. Also:

mayoclinic.org - Transient ischemic attack (TIA) - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic