Tired all the time? Doctors say the culprit could be a silent 'mini-stroke'
Some strokes may go unnoticed but leave you drained for at least a year. Known as mini-strokes or
, they may cause brief blockage of blood flow to the brain and can last for up to a day.
If you have been feeling perpetually tired for many months now, this lingering fatigue may be due to that
you never knew you had.
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Mini strokes can go unnoticed by many as they show subtle signs like a slurred speech, or arm weakness, and the physical symptoms disappear within a day. More than 240,000 Americans and about 45,000 Brits experience them one every year but only one in 30 realize they have had one.
The most debilitating side effect of the mini-stroke is the fatigue that linger. The tiredness that never gets better with rest. It's especially common in people with anxiety and depression issues.
What is a transient ischemic attack?
A transient ischemic attack (TIA) causes symptoms similar to stroke but they happen for a very brief period of time. The blood flow to the brain is obstructed for a very short period. This is the reason it is also known as a mini stroke. It may last for a few minutes and doesn't cause long-term damage.
However, a mini stroke could be a precursor to a bigger stroke. About 1 in 3 people who have a TIA will eventually have a stroke, with about half occurring within a year after the TIA.
It is important to pay attention to your health and take all measures to prevent future strokes.
What the new study is saying
The new study published in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, and done by Danish researchers says the mini strokes may leave the people suffering from it fatigued for up to a year.
One of the reasons TIA may cause fatigue could be due to the brain's need to compensate for the temporary disruption in blood flow. The brain has to work extra hard to complete tasks after a TIA and this effort can lead to increased energy consumption and
.
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The study reveals a strong link between mini-stroke and persistent fatigue.
'People with a transient ischemic attack can have symptoms such as face drooping, arm weakness, or slurred speech, and these resolve within a day,' said study author Boris Modrau, MD, PhD, of Aalborg University Hospital in Denmark. 'However, some have reported continued challenges including reduced quality of life, thinking problems, depression, anxiety, and fatigue.
Our study found that for some people, fatigue was a common symptom that lasted up to one year after the transient ischemic attack.
'
Researchers tracked 354 people (average age 70) for a year after a mini-stroke, monitoring fatigue through questionnaires at multiple intervals. Initially, 61% reported significant fatigue. Even after a year, 54% still experienced it. Fatigue scores dropped only slightly over time, showing that tiredness often lingers long after physical symptoms fade.
As per the study, the brain scans of the participants who had long term fatigue were the same as those who didn't have it.
However, researchers found that people with prior anxiety or depression issues were twice more likely to report lasting fatigue.
A mini stroke can cause a certain degree of brain damage when it occurs, though the damage is not as severe as a classic stroke. This small damage could lead to muscle weakness, difficulty with coordination and a general sense of weariness - all signs of fatigue.
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