The Sneaky Symptoms You Can't Afford to Ignore
Stacy Quinn didn't misspeak because she was nervous...
Her dayslong headache wasn't an ordinary migraine.
And the odd redness in her eye wasn't because she was tired.
Finally, after a "speech blip" at work, Quinn and a colleague turned to Google.
All signs pointed to one thing: a stroke.
But the 41-year-old Quinn was active and in good health. She thought strokes were "just something for old men."
Still, later that week, she ended up going to an urgent care clinic – twice. First, providers said it was a particularly nasty migraine... When she returned, they blamed an ear problem.
Another week later, she went to a neurologist, who ordered imaging tests, including a brain MRI.
The next day, the doctor didn't call Quinn to give her a diagnosis...
He ordered her to the emergency room, pronto, because she was about to have a stroke.
As it turns out, Quinn had experienced a transient ischemic attack ("TIA").
That's the medical term for a brief episode of nerve-related symptoms caused by reduced blood flow to a spot in your brain (or, in some cases, your spinal cord or retina). And by "brief," I don't mean a particular duration... just that the blood flow resumes quickly enough to prevent permanent brain damage.
At least 240,000 Americans suffer TIAs each year. But that number is likely higher since TIAs can go undetected. According to the American Heart Association, about one-third of American adults have had TIA symptoms, but only 3% ever call 911.
You're probably more familiar with TIA's nickname: "ministroke."
And I've got to say... it's an absolutely terrible name that shouldn't exist.
It's a total misnomer. The word "mini" makes it sound harmless... sort of like a small fender bender or a little bit of a cold.
But don't be fooled by the nickname... Consider a ministroke as a warning shot fired off by your brain.
And for many, it's the only warning they'll get before the devastation of a full stroke hits.
TIA symptoms don't stick around for long. So most folks might think, "Oh, just a false alarm," and continue life as normal.
But that complacency can become deadly... because you're ignoring your body's urgent warnings that the brain's blood supply has been disrupted. When that happens, something worse could soon follow.
Today, I'll explain why ignoring the warning signs of a ministroke can be dangerous to your brain health over the long haul...
What Causes These 'Ministrokes'
Your body can suffer two types of strokes...
The first is a hemorrhagic stroke, also known as a brain bleed. It happens when an aneurysm (a weakened area of a blood vessel) breaks open.
Not only does your brain tissue not get the blood it needs, but the leaked blood can start to compress surrounding areas and cause more damage. In fact, 1 in 3 hemorrhagic-stroke victims dies before even making it to the hospital.
Fortunately, hemorrhagic strokes are rare. They account for roughly 1 in 10 strokes. The rest are what's called ischemic strokes. These include TIAs.
Ischemic strokes happen when a region of the brain doesn't get enough oxygen because of inadequate blood flow to that area. The usual culprit is a blockage (like from a clot) in a blood vessel feeding that area.
Without that oxygen-rich blood, 4 million nerve cells (or neurons), 12 million brain cells, and 15 billion synapses die every minute.
That damage manifests in the "classic" stroke signs like sudden weakness on one side of the body, facial drooping, and slurred speech.
And then there's the TIA...
You get the same symptoms as a full stroke – but the blockage is temporary. Blood flow resumes, and the symptoms fade away within minutes to hours.
Because these ministrokes don't leave behind any lasting damage, a doctor wouldn't see evidence of them if you were to get an MRI scan of your brain.
No big deal, right?
Well, research shows otherwise...
Roughly 15% of all full strokes start off with a TIA. About half of those severe strokes happen within just two days of that initial warning siren. After an untreated TIA, 1 in 5 Americans have a major stroke within three months... And about 1 in 3 suffer one within a year.
How to Spot a TIA
Know these signs – they could indicate a sly TIA or a stroke. You might suddenly...
- Feel your face, arm, or leg going numb or becoming weak, usually on one side of the body
- Feel extremely confused and have trouble understanding and talking
- Feel like you're seeing double, have blurriness, or lose vision in one or both eyes
- Feel dizzy or clumsy and have trouble walking or keeping balance
- Feel an extremely severe headache (less common, but possible)
An easy way to remember is the acronym "BE FAST":
Even if any of these symptoms pass in a couple of minutes as the blockage self-resolves, don't just brush them off. You've just experienced a medical emergency.
So you'll want to be seen by a medical professional as soon as possible – preferably within an hour and at the emergency room. Don't go to urgent care... These clinics don't have the equipment for brain and vascular imaging.
And don't drive yourself to the ER... You don't want to be behind the wheel if you suffer a major stroke. Also, make a note of what time your symptoms set in, if possible, or make a note of when you observe the signs in a loved one.
Many patients brush off the symptoms of a ministroke as "just getting old."
For example, you might think that a sudden wave of dizziness and loss of balance is from standing up too fast or inner-ear issues. Or perhaps you might dismiss the confusion as just part of having a "senior moment." Or feeling weak or slurring your speech could be because you're tired.
Again, because ministrokes are sneaky... they seemingly resolve on their own.
But ignoring them is a potentially deadly mistake.
Don't take the risk. Get checked out.
P.S. For more on the dangers of ministrokes – along with my tips on how to sidestep these perils – get the full issue of Retirement Millionaire right here.
And be sure to check out my latest issue, just published yesterday, where I detail another silent health threat – one that nearly a third of American adults are unknowingly walking around with. (Not a subscriber? Try my flagship advisory to see how you like it.)
What We're Reading...
- Something different: How a human brain got turned into glass.
Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,
Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
October 9, 2025