{"id":592245,"date":"2026-02-15T18:07:18","date_gmt":"2026-02-15T18:07:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/592245\/"},"modified":"2026-02-15T18:07:18","modified_gmt":"2026-02-15T18:07:18","slug":"warning-stroke-what-it-is-and-symptoms-to-look-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/592245\/","title":{"rendered":"Warning Stroke: What It Is And Symptoms To Look For"},"content":{"rendered":"

Strokes are a leading cause of death in the U.S.<\/a>, with nearly 800,000 people experiencing one every year. On average, a stroke occurs every 40 seconds in the country.<\/p>\n

These numbers are jarring and scary, especially for folks who have a family history of stroke or who have risk factors like high blood pressure and certain heart conditions.<\/p>\n

But you can arm yourself with knowledge to recognize the symptoms of a stroke, understand the risk factors and ultimately help protect yourself from experiencing one altogether. <\/p>\n

According to Dr. Brandon Giglio<\/a>, the director of vascular neurology at NYU Langone Hospital\u2014Brooklyn, about 85% of strokes in the United States are ischemic strokes, meaning they\u2019re caused by a lack of blood flow to the brain. About 15% are hemorrhagic strokes, which occur when a blood vessel ruptures in the brain. <\/p>\n

And among the people who have strokes, many also experience what is known as a warning stroke in the days, weeks or months beforehand.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what to know about warning strokes:<\/p>\n

Warning strokes are known medically as transient ischemic attacks.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Unbeknownst to most people outside of the medical field, warning strokes are a fleeting yet very dangerous medical condition that can be precursors to full-blown strokes.<\/p>\n

In fact, up to 1 in 5 people who experience a warning stroke could have a stroke within 90 days if they don\u2019t get medical attention, according to Dr. Ahmed Itrat<\/a>, the stroke medical director at Cleveland Clinic Akron General.<\/p>\n

So what exactly is a warning stroke? Medically, it\u2019s referred to as a transient ischemic attack and causes \u201csudden-onset transient symptoms of neurological injury which resolve on their own,\u201d Itrat said. \u201cThese symptoms may be similar to what one would consider a stroke, but the only difference is they don\u2019t lead to a permanent neurological injury.\u201d<\/p>\n

In other words, transient ischemic attacks come on quickly, last for a short time and do not result in the type of brain damage that can be seen with full-fledged strokes.<\/p>\n

But the lack of potential brain damage does not mean you should ignore a transient ischemic attack. It\u2019s still a medical condition that needs to be taken seriously, Giglio said. \u201cIt really is a harbinger in many people for someone who is going to have a stroke even within the next 48 hours and certainly within the next seven, 30, 90 days,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Transient ischemic attacks are also commonly referred to as \u201cministrokes.\u201d But Dr. Joshua Willey<\/a>, a stroke neurology expert at Columbia University\u2019s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, said this problematic term minimizes the emergent nature of the condition. The phrase \u201cwarning strokes,\u201d on the other hand, highlights that this condition is an emergency, just like a \u201cregular\u201d stroke, he said. <\/p>\n

The signs of transient ischemic attacks and strokes are the same.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI would say that basically all the same signs and symptoms of a stroke are the signs and symptoms of a transient ischemic attack,\u201d Giglio said.<\/p>\n

All three experts who spoke with HuffPost referred to \u201cBE FAST<\/a>\u201d as a widely accepted mnemonic device detailing the signs of stroke. And as the acronym suggests, these symptoms come on quickly, Giglio said.<\/p>\n