A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a stroke that lasts for less than 24 hours. The Mayo Clinic states that one-third of patients that have a TIA will have a stroke later on in life. Patients that develop a TIA typically have an associated migraine. In addition to a migraine, a TIA can cause a patient to have numbness or weakness typically on one side of the body. A patient should understand the causes of a TIA migraine to prevent them from occurring.
Blood Clot
The most common cause of a TIA migraine is a blood clot within the artery in the brain. According to Medline Plus, of the National Institutes of Health, a blood clot can form in an artery in the brain or it can travel to the brain from another artery in the body, such as the heart. Once a blood clot forms in the brain, a certain area of brain tissue is temporarily damage, which leads to TIA migraine. A patient that experiences frequent TIA migraines should have primary sources of clotting accessed. For example, a patient may have high cholesterol that can lead to the formation of blood clots. He may also have a blood disorder, such as sickle cell anemia, polycythemia vera or others, that may increase the risk of blood clot formation. Thus, prevention of blood clot formation can prevent TIA migraines and decrease the risk of a future stroke.
Blood Vessel Narrowing
Some patients may experience a narrowing of a blood vessel in the brain that can cause a TIA migraine, states Medline Plus. A blood vessel in the brain may narrow because of the formation of fatty deposits, or a blood vessel in the brain may spasm. Either case can lead to a severe TIA migraine. If the blood vessel becomes narrow from fatty deposits, a physician may recommend interventions to reopen a narrow blood vessel. In the case of a blood vessels spasm, a physician may recommend particular medications that can prevent a blood vessel spasm. Reopening a narrow blood vessel should reduce the incidence of a TIA migraine.
Inflammatory Disease
Medline Plus states that the development of an inflammatory disease may cause a TIA migraine. Specifically, inflammatory diseases such as arteritis, polyarteritis and granulomatous angiitis can cause inflammation in a blood vessel in the brain, which can cause a TIA migraine. Inflammation may cause blood vessels in the brain to harden or become stiff, which can lead to a reduction in blood flow to certain parties of the brain that may cause a migraine. In this case, treatment of the underlying inflammatory disorder is necessary to prevent the recurrence of TIA migraines.
