What is the difference between TIA(Transient Ischemic Attack) and CVA(Cerebrovascular Accident)?
TIA is a short-lived (transient) lack of blood flow (ischemic) to the brain perhaps from a spasm in the vessel that gives stroke like symptoms that resolve or go away completely and leave no residual (after) affects. On a CT scan the brain will show no tissue death. A stroke is suffered from a clot or bleed that leaves a residual problem depending on what area of the brain is affected. (hemiplegia/one sided paralysis or weakness, aphasia or speech or understanding problems, vertigo/dizziness, difficulty swallowing, memory problems, visual changes, seizures). A CT scan will generally show tissue death in this area. It is comparable to a MI (Myocardial Infarction, Heart Attack) vs Angina. In an MI there is a clot causing disruption of blood flow to part of the heart muscle, which in turn causes death to that specific area of the heart muscle (people survive MI’s because there is collateral circulation, or circulation coming from other vessels that keep enough of the heart alive for pumpi
