Warning Stroke: What It Is And Symptoms To Look For - HuffPost

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.

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.

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.

Transient ischemic attacks are also commonly referred to as “ministrokes.” But Dr. Joshua Willey, a stroke neurology expert at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, said this problematic term minimizes the emergent nature of the condition.

It’s important to remember that many people who experience a transient ischemic attack will have a stroke within 48 hours, so waiting any amount of time is not ideal.

Strokes are very common in the U.S., so be sure to understand the symptoms and immediately alert a medical professional if you or a loved one suffers from a transient ischemic attack.