What is the Difference Between CVA and TIA

Cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) and transient ischemic attacks (TIA) are serious medical events caused by disrupted blood flow to the brain. While both share neurological symptoms, there are several differences between them. Recognizing the difference between CVA and TIA is crucial for prompt diagnosis and treatment to prevent long-term complications.

The key difference between CVA and TIA is that CVA is their severity. CVA can result in lasting brain damage, while TIA symptoms are temporary and often resolve within a short period without causing permanent injury.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is CVA 
3. What is TIA
4. Similarities Between CVA and TIA
5. CVA vs TIA in Tabular Form
6. Summary – CVA vs TIA
7. FAQ – CVA and TIA

What is CVA?

A cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is a stroke that occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain is stopped either by a blockage or the rupture of a blood vessel. Cerebrovascular accident symptoms may include difficulty walking, dizziness, loss of balance, difficulty speaking or understanding others, numbness or paralysis in the face, leg, or arm, blurred or darkened vision, and a sudden headache accompanied by nausea, vomiting, or dizziness. Atherosclerosis, atrial fibrillation, arteriovenous malformations, brain aneurysms, and cerebral amyloid angiopathy can cause cerebrovascular accidents.

CVA can be diagnosed through medical history, blood tests, cerebral angiography, electrocardiogram (EKG), X-ray, CT scan, MRI, and ultrasound. Cerebrovascular accidents can be treated by medicines lowering blood pressure and blood thinners, endovascular thrombectomy, endovascular neurosurgery, radiation treatment, and aneurysm clipping.

What is TIA?

Transient ischemic attack (TIA) is also known as mini-stroke. It is a temporary blockage in blood flow to the brain. The symptoms usually last for just a few minutes or may go away in 24 hours. The symptoms of TIA are numbness/ weakness, confusion, dizziness, trouble talking, problems with vision, and severe headaches. The transient ischemic attack can be caused by smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol levels, regular drinking, atrial fibrillation, and diabetes.

TIA can be diagnosed through blood pressure tests, electrocardiogram (ECG), carotid ultrasound, and brain scans. Furthermore, treatment options for transient ischemic attack are lifestyle changes, medicines (low-dose aspirin, statin, blood pressure medications, and anticoagulants), and surgery.

Similarities Between CVA and TIA

• CVA and TIA are two different types of strokes.
• Both can stop the blood supply to the brain.
• They can be diagnosed through physical examination and imaging tests.
• They can be treated through specific medications and surgeries.

Difference Between CVA and TIA

Definition

1. CVA is a stroke that occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain is stopped either by a blockage or the rupture of a blood vessel.
2. TIA is a temporary blockage in blood flow to the brain.

Causes

1. Atherosclerosis, atrial fibrillation, arteriovenous malformations, brain aneurysms, and cerebral amyloid angiopathy.
2. Smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol levels, regular drinking, atrial fibrillation, and diabetes.

Signs and Symptoms

1. Difficulty walking, dizziness, loss of balance, difficulty speaking or understanding others, numbness or paralysis in the face, leg, or arm, blurred or darkened vision, and a sudden headache accompanied by nausea, vomiting, or dizziness.
2. Numbness, weakness, confusion, dizziness, trouble talking, problems with vision, and severe headaches.

Diagnosis

1. Medical history, blood test, cerebral angiography, electrocardiogram (EKG), X-ray, CT scan, MRI and ultrasound.
2. Blood pressure test, electrocardiogram (ECG), carotid ultrasound, and brain scans.

Treatment

1. Medicines that lower blood pressure, blood thinners, endovascular thrombectomy, endovascular neurosurgery, radiation treatment, and aneurysm clipping.
2. Lifestyle changes, medicines (low-dose aspirin, statin, blood pressure medications, and anticoagulants), and surgery.

The infographic below presents the differences between CVA and TIA in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – CVA vs TIA

Stroke is a life-threatening condition that occurs when part of the brain doesn’t get enough blood flow. CVA and TIA are two different types of strokes. CVA is a stroke occurring due to the absence of oxygen, while TIA is a mini-stroke occurring due to a low oxygen level. Moreover, CVA is due to blood supply blockage to the brain or blood vessel rupture, whereas TIA is due to temporary blood supply interruption to the brain. Thus, this summarizes the difference between CVA and TIA.

FAQ: CVA and TIA

1. Is TIA the same as cerebrovascular disease?

• TIA is a temporary cerebrovascular event or a stroke due to an artery to the brain being temporarily blocked, which leaves no permanent damage. However, the damage from cerebrovascular disease or stroke is more permanent because blood flow to a part of the brain is stopped either by a blockage or the rupture of a blood vessel.

2. Does TIA lead to CVA?

• Transient ischemic attacks or minor strokes are highly predictive of a subsequent disabling stroke within hours or days of the first TIA symptoms. It is estimated that the subsequent stroke after a transient ischemic attack is between 2% and 17% within the first 90 days after the initial event.

3. What is the difference between CVA and stroke?

• A stroke is also referred to as a cerebral vascular accident (CVA) or a brain attack. It is an interruption in the flow of blood to cells in the brain.

4. Why stroke is called CVA?

• Stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain results in cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic – which is due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic – which is due to bleeding. Both these cause parts of the brain to stop functioning properly, so stroke is also known as CVA.

5. What are the most common causes of a CVA or TIA?

• High blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, smoking, and family history are the most common causes of a CVA or TIA.

Reference:

1. “Cerebrovascular Accident: Stroke Types, Symptoms, Causes.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International.
2. “Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA).” National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Blausen 0836 Stroke” By Blausen Medical Communications, Inc. (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Ischemic Stroke” By ElinorHunt – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia

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