Transient ischaemic attack Health Dictionary

The temporary loss of consciousness caused by an abrupt slowing of the heartbeat. This may happen following SHOCK, acute pain, fear, or stress. A common cause of fainting in normal people, a vasovagal attack may be a consequence of overstimulation of the VAGUS nerve which is involved in the control of breathing and the circulation.... vasovagal attack

A brief episode affecting the nervous system that causes the person to fall suddenly. There is no loss of consciousness. The loss of tone in the muscles, responsible for the fall, may persist for several hours; in such cases moving the patient or applying pressure to the soles of the feet may restore muscle tone. In most cases, however, recovery is immediate. The cause is probably a temporary interference with the blood supply to the brain. In others there may be some disturbance of the vestibular apparatus which controls the balance of the body. (See EAR, DISEASES OF; TRANSIENT ISCHAEMIC ATTACKS OR EPISODES (TIA, TIE).)... drop attack

See INFANTILE SPASMS.... salaam attacks

Periods during which a toddler holds his or her breath, usually as an expression of pain, frustration, or anger.

The child usually becomes red or even blue in the face after a few seconds, and may faint.

Breathing quickly resumes as a natural reflex, ending the attack.

Attacks cause no damage and are usually outgrown.... breath-holding attacks

See myocardial infarction.... heart attack

See HEART, DISEASES OF.... ischaemic heart disease

A STROKE that occurs when the ?ow of blood to a part of the brain is interrupted by a partial or complete THROMBOSIS of the supplying artery or ARTERIES, or by a clot of blood that has detached itself from elsewhere in the circulatory system – for instance, a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) – and blocked a cerebral artery. Stroke is the second most common cause of death worldwide. Its treatment is di?cult and prevention is best targeted at those who are at the highest absolute risk of stroke, because such people are likely to derive the greatest bene?t. They generally have a history of occlusive vascular diseases such as previous ischaemic stroke or a transient ischaemic attack (TIA), coronary heart disease (see HEART, DISEASES OF) or PERIPHERAL VASCULAR DISEASE. In the UK strokes affect about 200 people per 100,000 population annually, with the incidence rising sharply after the age of 55. At the age of 70 the incidence is around 15 people per 1,000 of population; at 80 the ?gure is double that.

About 80 per cent of patients survive an acute stroke and they are at risk of a further episode within a few weeks and months; about 10 per cent in the ?rst year and 5 per cent a year after that. HYPERTENSION, smoking, HYPERLIPIDAEMIA and raised concentration of blood sugar, along with OBESITY, are signi?cant pointers to further strokes and preventive steps to reduce these factors are worthwhile, although the reduction in risk is hard to assess. Even so, the affected person should stop smoking, greatly reduce alcohol intake, check for and have treated diabetes, reduce weight and exercise regularly. In any case, a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables and low in fat and salt, exercise and the avoidance of smoking may reduce the risk of having a ?rst stroke.

The evidence is inconclusive that patients with ischaemic stroke should be treated with antihypertensives. Furthermore, neither the starting blood pressure nor the best drug regimen or its starting time are generally agreed. Studies on the most e?ective methods of preventing and treating stroke are continuing; meanwhile available evidence suggests that an active approach to prevention of primary and secondary hypertension will bene?t patients and usually be cost-e?ective.... ischaemic stroke

Panic attacks, or panic disorders, are recurrent short episodes of acute distress. Some sufferers may be mentally confused and fear impending death. Initially these attacks tend to occur unexpectedly but, if recurrent, they often become associated with certain places such as a con?ned space (lift) or among crowds. Symptoms include a feeling of breathing diffculties, including overbreathing, PALPITATION, dizziness, sweating, faintness and pains in the chest. Attacks are usually short (a few minutes) but not often associated with physical illness, although victims may have an anxiety disorder or PHOBIA. If troublesome or disabling, attacks can be treated symptomatically with short-term ANXIOLYTICS or on a long-term basis with BEHAVIOUR THERAPY.... panic attacks

A measure of the occurrence of a contagious disease among known (or presumed) susceptible persons following exposure to a primary case.... secondary attack

Episodes of transient ISCHAEMIA of some part of the cerebral hemispheres or the brain stem (see BRAIN) lasting anything from a few minutes to several hours and followed by complete recovery. By de?nition, the ischaemic episode must be less than 24 hours. These episodes may be isolated or they may occur several times in a day. The cause is ATHEROMA of the carotid or vertebral arteries (see ARTERIES, DISEASES OF) and the embolisation (see EMBOLISM) of PLATELETS or CHOLESTEROL. These attacks present with strokes (see STROKE) that rapidly recover.... transient ischaemic attacks or episodes (tia, tie)

While treatment would be directed towards the primary condition, Poke root should be included in any prescription.

Formula. Echinacea 1; Goldenseal half; Poke root quarter. Mix. Dose: Powders: 500mg (two 00 capsules or one-third teaspoon). Liquid extracts: 1 teaspoon. Tinctures: 2 teaspoons. Thrice daily, in water.

Poke root tablets/capsules. As recommended. ... arthritis – from attack of mumps

The most common form of heart disease, in which narrowing or obstruction of the coronary arteries, usually by atherosclerosis, results in a reduced blood supply (see coronary artery disease).... heart disease, ischaemic

A brief period of acute anxiety, often dominated by an intense fear of dying or losing one’s reason. Attacks are unpredictable at first, but tend to become associated with specific situations, such as a cramped lift.

Symptoms (a sense of breathing difficulty, chest pains, palpitations, feeling light-headed, dizziness, sweating, trembling, and faintness) begin suddenly. Hyperventilation often occurs, causing a pins-and-needles feeling, and feelings of depersonalization and derealization. The attacks end quickly.

Panic attacks are generally a feature of an anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, or other phobias. In some cases, such attacks are part of a somatization disorder or schizophrenia. Behaviour therapy and relaxation exercises may be used in treatment of this condition.... panic attack

(HIE, birth asphyxia, perinatal asphyxia) brain damage in a newborn infant as a result of the brain receiving inadequate oxygen. HIE may cause seizures and, if severe, death within minutes of oxygen deprivation. If the infant survives there can be significant long-term consequences, such as developmental delay, learning disabilities, or cerebral palsy.... hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy

(NEAD) a condition characterized by episodes that resemble epileptic seizures but lack the abnormal electrical activity in the brain typically associated with *epilepsy. See non-epileptic seizure.... non-epileptic attack disorder